Cyber GGs
by Nik Hasta
Summary: Chapter 10 is (FINALLY) up!! This is it the smoke is clearing figures are pulling themselves clear of the dirt, but who has survived? R+R1 and I'm sorry it took so long!
1. Default Chapter

Cyber GGs   
This is an extremely dark fic, thought up by N1K, typed and assisted by   
Tallulah. If you hear any splashing noises, it's Tallulah crying onto the screen   
– sensitive young soul. Anyway, this fic has some characters from Tallulah's   
fic, Down and Out (Go read it if you haven't already). Alex, Shackler and   
Gamma are the Love Shocker, Poison Jammer and Noise Tank you can get in   
the JSR game – Alex and Gamma are in DaO, Shackler we borrowed from   
Memories of Graffiti by NoiseTank13 (also a great fic.) Our Shackler is   
different from his, but we owe him for the name – thanks, dude! We don't   
own JSR (duh! No kidding!) We picture the original JSR taking place in 2001.   
Now go, r+r!  
  
Prologue  
Date: 7th December, 2007  
  
Dark flashes everywhere. Loud bangs echoed through the underground   
chambers of the garage, and voices screamed in agony.   
Tab desperately typed code after code into his computer. He mopped   
his brow, and adjusted the visor round his eyes with his one hand. His other   
hand had been replaced by a paint cannon. Just then, Beat burst into the room.  
"Tab! Hurry up! He's coming! We can't hold him off much longer!"  
"I'm trying, I'm trying!" The large device that the computer was   
connected up to began to hum as it charged up with power.   
"Okay, Beat, get Gum here. The portal's gonna open in about three   
minutes."  
Beat's bionic eye widened slightly. He glanced out of the door, and   
yelled, "Gum, get down!"  
Another explosion resonated through the garage. A tear escaped from   
Beat's one good eye.   
Tab's face didn't change. He'd had too many losses in the last few   
hours to let this one get to him.   
They're all dead now, he thought. Gamma, Mew, Yo-Yo – poor kid –   
Garam. And then Piranha. Suicide.   
And then Combo – tried hold them both off, and failed. Alex was next.   
Found pieces of her in a fifty-yard radius round the body. Shackler had gone   
mad then. He loved Alex, more than any of us ever knew, I bet. He was the   
next to go. Almost took that fucking bitch with him.   
Tab's hands curled into fists, and he blinked to clear the rage from his   
eyes. Unfortunately, she was too tough to die like that.   
Slate was next. A few seconds after that, so was Cube. Tab shuddered.   
He'd not watched, but he'd still been able to hear them screaming.  
And now Gum. There was only him and Beat left. If you don't count   
Potts. Tab glanced over to where Potts was crouched, whimpering, against the   
far wall.   
Out of the large machine came a large, glowing vortex. "Hey, Beat!   
Let's go!"  
Beat was standing, frozen in terror. "Shit! He's here! Tab, run!"  
Tab leapt to his feet and dashed towards the portal. Suddenly he heard   
the rattling of a minigun. He heard Beat scream.  
Tab wanted to stop, be with his friend for the last time. He slowed   
down.  
"Tab…" Beat's voice was pain-filled. "Go…hurry…"  
Tab forced himself to run on. Through the portal. He heard Potts   
howling in despair. Then the sound cut out.  
"Arrrrrgh!" It was like he was on the fastest rollercoaster in the world.   
Tab closed his eyes, feeling every atom in his body was being ripped apart. He   
yelled and yelled, until he blacked out.  
  
(Well? What d'you think? Dark enough for ya? Anyway, r+r please!)  
  



	2. Back To The Past

Chapter 01 - Back to the Past  
  
(Tallulah here - that sleazebag brother of mine has left me to upload this on my   
own so you won't receive his comments at the moment...maybe later!   
Anyway, hope you like this chapter - written by N1K the Rudie, formerly   
known as Silver Star Sayain, and typed up, spellchecked and abetted by moi. It   
would help if you had read my fic 'Down And Out' as this is turning into a   
sequel to it - hint hint...Anyway, please r+r this chapter!)  
  
Date: 6th July, 2001  
  
Tab opened his eyes, and sat up. He was lying on the roof of the garage. The   
old garage. Below him he could hear Shibuya-cho waking up.   
There was no death. No destruction. No flying robots. No insane   
laughter. No body parts all over the place.  
"Yessssss! It worked! Right on!" Tab did a little victory dance on the   
roof, and fell through the skylight.  
"Yaaaaaaaaaaa! Oh, oww, oh man, ohhhh man! That hertz!"  
Someone groaned. "What's going on?"  
"Yo-Yo?"   
"Yeah...what is it, Tab?" Yo-Yo blinked a little.  
"You're alive! You're alive!" Tab hurtled over to Yo-Yo and hugged   
him.   
"Okay...Tabster, man...you can put me down now...this looks kinda   
weird, you know what I mean...Anyway, of course I'm alive. Why wouldn't I   
be?"  
Tab dropped Yo-Yo, who looked at him in surprise. "Why are your   
clothes different? And what's that on your face? And...shit, man, where's   
your bobble hat...and your hand?"  
"I can explain everything," Tab said. "Get the others in here. Quick."  
Soon the main area of the garage was full of GGs, plus one Noise Tank,   
one Poison Jammer, and one Love Shocker.   
"Okay, then," said past Tab, "What's the deal, Yo-Yo? Who's that?"  
"Uh - hi, me." Future Tab grinned.  
"What do you mean by 'hi, me?" past Tab asked.  
"I'm you," said future Tab.   
"Oh...my...god." Past Tab's jaw dropped. "What's happened to your   
hat?"  
"It got burnt off by a flamethrower."  
"Okay, enough reminiscing here," Beat said. "Who are you, what are   
you doing here, and what do you want?"  
"Okay, you're probably not gonna believe me here, but I'm from the   
future."  
"You're right," Gum said. "We're not gonna believe you. Come on,   
let's chuck him out, we got a loony here."  
"Woah, woah, how about I tell you something about the GGs no one   
else would know? Then will you not throw me out?"  
"Uh - okay. But I bet you can't tell us anything," Gum muttered.  
"Okay. Goji Rokkaku was not killed in a construction accident. I saw   
him die. You tagged Mew's tag on his head, and he tripped and fell off the   
building. Hah!"  
"Well, that proves you're a rudie," Gum said. "Not necessarily that   
you're Tab from the future."  
"Right then, how about I tell you what colour Tab's eyes are?"  
"That's impossible, no one knows that."  
"Wanna bet? They're orange! In your face!"   
"Tab, is this true?"   
Present Tab stared at the floor. "Yeah, unfortunately it is." He dashed forward and grabbed Beat's shirt. "But if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will kill you all!"  
"Okay, fine. No one knows." Beat turned back to future Tab. "So   
you're Tab from the future. What do you want?"  
"Ah. Now, this is gonna sound really, really clichéd, but I'm here to   
warn you."  
"Boring!" Yo-Yo yelled.  
"No, listen. In my future, you're all dead."  
"No way! That's not possible!" Garam said.  
"Fraid so, Garam old buddy. I've seen it all. Onishima - basically   
decimates every single rudie on the planet."  
"I've found a hole in your story!" Gum marched forward and poked   
Tab in the chest. "Onishima's dead. We were holidaying in Grind City, and he   
chased us up onto the roofs of Grind Square -"  
"Yeah, and you ground out along one of the American flags, he leaned   
out to grab you, and fell. I know. I saw it happen. Or rather, he did." Future Tab pointed at past Tab. "Anyway, he's not dead."  
"Boring!" Yo-Yo yelled again.  
"Will you shut up? He's not dead. Just near-fatally paralysed, but not   
dead."  
Yo-Yo opened his mouth. Future Tab charged across and jammed his   
paint cannon into it. "Now listen. This gun can fire paint capsules at one   
hundred and fifty miles per hour, at the slowest. Now are you gonna shut up,   
or shall I shoot the back of your head off?"  
Yo-Yo gurgled, and Tab let go of him and continued his story.   
"Anyway, as I was saying, you know Koji Rokkaku?"  
"Yeah. Goji's son. Majorly cute," Mew said.  
"He may be cute, but he's also downright evil. Must run in the family.   
He's picked up Onishima and taken him off for five years of robotic surgery.   
When he comes out, he'll be Delta Onishima."  
"Who or what is Delta Onishima?" asked Gum.   
"He's a robot. With Onishima's brain and head in it. He's got minigun,   
two shotguns and some wire spikes."  
"What the hell are wire spikes?" asked Cube.  
"Oh, they're these little rocket-powered spikes you fire at rudies which   
have a thin but incredibly powerful wire attached to them, and they wrap round   
the rudies and drag them back to Onishima. They should be on the streets in   
about two years. And, Cube, Alex..." He turned to the Gothic GG and the Love Shocker leader. "I have some real, real, majorly real bad news."  
"What?"  
"Kell is back."  
There was a long, worried silence, as all the GGs remembered the   
psychotic Love Shocker leader. Not only had she loathed, hated and despised   
the GGs, she had conceived an attraction for Cube, and sworn revenge when it   
hadn't been returned. This revenge had taken the form of tagging all of   
Shibuya-cho with Love Shocker tags, giving Cube two broken legs and later   
raping her, stripping Gum of her rudieship, trying to scar Mew, and   
blackmailing Piranha, who had been a former Love Shocker. In the end Kell   
had been tagged ten times herself and had then had a nasty accident...  
(A/N from Tallulah: I've created a monster...)  
"She's dead," Cube said at last. "She fell off a building - oh. Wait.   
Koji picked her up too..." Tab was nodding. "And he's revived her?"  
"Yep."  
"Oh, man."  
"When she first appears, she's like a hundred times more dangerous than   
Delta Onishima. But then, Onishima goes back to Koji, and tells her that he's   
not strong enough to control Kell - or Chaos Kell, as he calls her."  
"This just gets better and better," Cube groaned.  
"And...he goes in there for about two more years of robotic surgery, and   
comes out as Neo-Onishima. The most deadly, psychotic cyborg ever to walk   
the planet."  
There was another long, worried silence. Onishima was bad enough.   
Kell was bad enough. Both of them as cyborgs was even worse. And both of   
them as super-cyborgs was potential catastrophe.  
"And there's one more thing."  
"There's more?"  
"Onishima learns how to skate."  
All the GGs burst out laughing.   
"Onishima? Skate? I don't think so!" shrieked Piranha.  
"No, really, I'm serious. He becomes the best skater ever. Well, the   
best skater you can be when you're a ten-foot tall cyborg."  
All of the GGs turned very, very pale.  
"And then - we all die?" Mew said at last.  
"Yep. Except me. I manage to escape back to here, through the time   
portal I've conjured, and I tell you guys all about this. Which is just what's   
happening now."  
"We noticed. Okay, so we get the picture. So we know what's gonna   
happen. How do we stop it?"  
"That's the part I haven't quite got to yet."  
"You don't know?" Beat yelled.  
"We've got five years, we've got five years!" Tab said hastily. "Oh,   
yeah, one more thing - if you find a dead Noise Tank lying under a blood-red   
tag saying You're Next GGs, signed C.K, we know Kell's back."  
"Duh. I think we could've worked that one out for ourselves," Cube   
said. She looked the palest of all of them, even under her Goth make-up.  
"So. We like have five years to prepare for this. Couldn't you have   
come at a different time?" Mew pouted. "This is going to totally mess up my   
social schedule. I mean, with Onishima dead - or whatever - think of all the   
parties there are to go to..."  
"Allow me to put it this way," Future Tab said. "I believe Koji may   
have detected the flux in the space-time continuum as I entered your   
dimension."  
"In English?"  
"He knows I'm here. And supposedly he will try and ice me."  
"What, now?" Beat said.  
"Yeah. Because he knows I could muck up his plans. But Tab, man.   
Tab. Tab. Me, even. If you get a mysterious letter in the post saying...now   
what was it?...oh, yes, 'Dear Mr Rudie, you have won the Rokkaku Grand   
Prize. Please come to the top of the Rokkaku building at 4:30 today,' go   
there."  
"Why?"  
"Because you'll learn all about genetic cybernetic healing. So this'll   
mean you'll be able to fix the GGs when they get damaged in the battles with all these cyborgs. Course, I'll   
be there to help you."  
"Are you staying here, then?" Beat asked.  
"Well, it's not like I've got anywhere else to go. My old dimension was   
trashed and I can't get back there anyway."  
"What - you mean there are two Tabs?" Yo-Yo said. "Oh, no, this is   
gonna seriously muck up my trick-playing plans...Tab, old buddy, old friend,   
old pal...do you forgive me for putting custard in your hat? You do, right? I   
don't wanna get smushed by two Tabs..."  
"Ah, poor liddle Yo-Yokins," Mew said, patting him.  
"She called me Yo-Yokins! Yes! I'm one step closer to the bed."  
"Eeeuw!" Mew swatted him across the head.   
"Right, enough messing about," Beat said. "Here is our plan. We sneak   
into the Rokkaku headquarters, and smush the robots before they can be turned   
on - and no dumb jokes, Yo-Yo! Does that sound like a good plan, Future   
Tab?"  
"Yeah, sounds good to me."  
"Then let's do it."  
  
In the evening, six dark shapes crept towards the Rokkaku building.  
"So, Future Tab? What's the plan?" Combo whispered.  
"I thought we figured this out this morning! We go in, we smash the   
robots before they wake up, we get out. Got it?"  
"Right."  
"Cube, get the crowbar," Beat hissed.  
"Okay."  
WHAM!  
"Not so loud, you idiot!"   
"Sorry."  
WHAM!  
"That's better!"  
Soon the door was open.   
"Okay, if I can just remember which way it was..." Tab said.  
"What do you mean, if you can remember? This place is probably   
booby-trapped! They'll be expecting us, numb nuts!" Gum snapped.  
"Okay, okay, don't worry, I know which way to go. Now if I can just   
find a plug socket..."  
"A plug? A plug? What do you need a plug for?"  
Tab got a plug out of his bionic hand and jammed it into the socket he'd   
found on the wall. "Now, if I can just locate a digital map...Combo, quit   
humming the Digimon theme tune before I kill you!"  
"Sorry, man."  
"Right. I know which way to go. We need to go left."  
"Are you certain?"  
"Totally. But let me go first, 'cos I know where all the traps, guns,   
infra-red beams, etc, are."  
"Okay..." Gum gripped the front of his boiler suit. "But if you get us   
all killed I am so gonna kill you!"  
"How?"  
"In the afterlife!"  
They reached the robotic gestation sector.   
"There they are!" Tab whispered, pointing to two glass coffins in the   
middle of the room. "Combo, guard the door. Gamma, Beat, with me. Cube,   
Gum, make sure the robots don't do anything they're not supposed to."  
"Like what?"  
"Like wake up unexpectedly and slaughter the lot of us!"  
"Oh, okay."  
Gum looked down at Onishima's frozen face. "Eeuw." She didn't often   
use Mew's phrases, but there was no other word for it.  
She looked over at Cube, who looked like she was about to be sick.   
Gum couldn't blame her. Chaos Kell was - ugly. Most of her face had been   
replaced by armour plating, and she seemed to have grown four extra limbs, all   
with various spiky and vicious implements on the ends. She still wore tattered   
Love Shocker uniform, but her skates appeared to be rocket boosters.   
But the sadistic smirk she'd always had was still on her face, rippling in   
the cold fluid that bathed the robots.   
Gum glanced over at the three guys tapping away at the keyboard, then   
back to Kell. She still had an eyepatch, of sorts. Her other eye was closed.  
Click.  
The eye opened.   
Cube yelped and backed away. "Uh - guys?" Her voice trembled.  
The fluid in the tank swirled as Kell struggled to break free of the bonds   
that held her.  
"Cube, we're busy!"  
"Guys..." Cube's voice rose up the panic scale.  
"Cube, leave us alone!"  
"Oh, for crying out loud," Gum snapped. Dashing over, she grabbed   
Tab and spun him round to face the tanks, just as an armoured fist smashed   
through the top of one of them.  
Kell sat up, glinting in the moonlight.   
"Cube, honey...I'm ba - ack."  
  
"Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttt!" cried the GGs.   
"Well, well, well. Look who's here. Hey! Onishima! Get your ass out   
of that stupid containment unit!" She kicked it.   
There was a grunt from inside. Tab frantically began to type, trying to   
override Onishima's circuits, but Kell shot out a wire spike.   
"Woah!" Tab ducked. The spike shot over his head. "Hah! You   
missed!"  
"No, I didn't."  
The computer exploded.  
"This is bad..." Tab groaned, rubbing soot off his face.  
Just then another metal fist broke through the other containment unit.   
"All right, which one of you punks woke me up?" growled a familiar voice.   
Standing on his three spider-like metal legs, Delta Onishima stepped out   
of the remains of the containment unit. Instead of his left hand there was a   
primed minigun, and on the other there were two sets of wire spike cannons   
surrounding a bionic hand. The original Onishima's head was encased in a   
plexiglas dome, bathed in a fluid which gave him life. He had also gained   
several inches.  
The shotguns on his shoulders swivelled around and pointed directly at   
Beat. "Ah ha! The infamous leader of the GGs! Prepare to die, scumbag!"  
BOOM!  
"Noooooooooo!" Gum threw herself at Beat, and they both crashed to   
the floor as the bullets passed over their heads, taking a chunk out of the wall.   
Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.  
The circular saw shot over Cube's head as she dodged another attack   
from Kell.  
"Come on, Cube, you know I want you..."  
Her gigantic metal fist flew towards Cube's head.  
"Uh-oh -"  
She ducked at the last second and the fist pulverised the door behind her.   
Growling, one of Chaos Kell's drill arms smashed a pile of chairs   
leaning against the wall.   
"Guys, I think we need to get out of here!" Future Tab yelled.  
"You're - yipe - telling - woah - me? - arrgh -" Cube gasped as she   
dodged Kell's fists.   
"Okay, now I just have to try and remember the way out of here..." Tab   
said.  
"What?" Gum screeched as she grappled with Onishima. "You don't   
know the way out of here?"  
"Uhhh...no."  
Cube stepped backwards, trying to keep out of the way of those   
glittering fists. And then (yep, you guessed it) she felt the cold plaster of the   
wall behind her.   
"Oh, shoot. Look, Kell, about that whole accidental death thing - can't   
we talk it over like responsible adults? You know, have my people call your   
people?"  
"No."  
The large spiked drill shot towards her.  
Cube ducked, rolled, felt dust speckle her skin as Kell tore through the   
wall like it was paper.  
"Mr Rokkaku is not going to like this," she muttered.   
"Run!" yelled Tab, grabbing Gum's wrist and dragging her towards the   
hole in the wall. Combo grabbed Beat and Cube, and Gamma just ran.  
"No - don't -" yelled Gum. "You don't know how high up -   
arrrrrrrrrrrrgh!"  
They jumped.  
Cube shuddered as the Shibuya streets rushed towards her -  
Suddenly there was a twang, and Combo, still clutching her round the   
waist, ground down the telephone wire they'd landed on. Cube glanced back,   
and saw a twisted, spiky figure jump out of the hole after them.   
"Hurry," she said to Combo.   
"I'm working on it," Combo said. "It's not easy with you and leader   
guy hanging onto me!"  
He jumped onto the roof of a building, and dropped Beat and Cube.  
"Uh-oh..." Gum looked back as she jumped onto the roof as well.  
Kell was speeding towards them, looking like a cross between a spider   
and body-piercing kit gone horribly wrong.  
"This calls for a little help from the inside," Tab said, kneeling down   
next to the wire.  
"What inside?"  
"The inside of my arm." He pressed the side of his visor, and a scalpel   
shot out of the side of his paint cannon. He chopped through the wire.   
There was a crash, and a snarl of rage tore through the air.   
"Now we run," he said. "Very, very fast."  
And the GGs dashed away.  
  
Meanwhile at the police station...  
A three-legged figure clattered through the door.  
"Hi, boys. Remember me?"  
"But - but - you're dead!" stuttered the desk sergeant.   
"Oh, yeah, I was...BUT I'M NOT NOW! Who's in charge?"  
"Uh - uh - Captain Toshiko - sir -"  
"Well, not no more he ain't!"   
The desk sergeant listened as Onishima charged through the office door   
without even opening it first.  
"Right, you! Get your butt out of here RIGHT NOW!"  
"You can't do this!"  
"Watch me!"  
Pyeeeeow pyeeeow pyeeow  
"Arrgh! Help! Mummy!"  
Crrrrrrrrr  
"I'm going! I'm going! Here's my badge! I quit!"  
The desk sergeant heard a metallic clatter, and then the sound of   
desperately running feet. He looked up as Ex-Captain Toshiko came dashing   
past, the ground he was covering becoming peppered with bullets. At last he   
reached the door, and threw himself out into the night.  
Onishima turned round, a smug expression on his face. The other   
officers were glancing out of the other rooms, looking puzzled. Onishima   
shrugged.  
"What? Haven't you ever seen a man get literally fired before?"  
  
The Love Shockers sat in a circle around the fire on the floor of their decaying   
factory HQ, eating Chinese takeaway.   
"You know," Dash said, swallowing a mouthful of noodles, "Shibuya's   
been really boring since Alex began hanging out with the GGs so much."  
"Yeah," Shar agreed. "I wish something would happen. You know,   
make things a little more interesting."  
CRASH.  
The door fell down as a buzzsaw hacked the hinges off.  
"Huh?"  
"Hi, girls. Miss me?"  
There was a clatter as four pairs of chopsticks hit the ground.   
"K - K - Kell?" Dash had gone white.   
"Well, I was just in the neighbourhood, and I thought I'd drop by and   
see my old friends. You know, the ones who abandoned me?" Kell's voice   
dropped to a snarl.  
"Look..." Shar stammered. "You know, that whole throwing down our   
weapons and siding with the GGs thing....oh, man, we are so dead..."  
"Got it in one, Shar." Kell shot forward.   
The buzzsaw rose. There were screams.  
Two minutes later Kell picked her way delicately out of the burning   
factory.   
"Well, that was easy enough," she murmured. "Now to pay a little visit   
to the Poison Jammers."  
Her buzzsaw gleamed red in the moonlight.  
  
(Tallulah: that was horrible! You killed my Love Shockers, you evil slimeball!   
Anyway, I've finished sobbing on the keyboard, so all you kits, kats and dawgs   
out there (to borrow a phrase from Prof K) go r+r NOW! I've got my   
machete...)  
(N1K the Rudie): Ah, quit your whining. I had to get rid of them. Storyline,   
etc. Aaah...a new name, a new chapter...life is good. And you can make it   
better by r+ring!)  
  
  
  
  



	3. Oh, man...

Chapter Two: Oh, Man…  
  
"Tab, what are you doing?"  
Cube was looking down into a large hole in the floor of the garage, lined with   
metal.  
"What do you think I'm doing? I'm digging!"  
"Okaaayy…This may like a stupid question, but – why?"  
"Oh, this actually happened in our future."  
"You dug tunnels under the garage?"  
"It's for protection. They're very useful. You see, these tunnels are   
bomb proof, gun proof, knife proof, angry Gum proof and even big nasty   
cyborg proof."  
"How come you all got killed in the other reality, then?"  
"Ah. That was because we only dug the tunnels once four of us were   
dead. Plus we were taken by surprise, and they attacked us while I was digging   
them. But this time it'll all go fine!"  
"Oh…right. So, what aren't they proof?"  
"I don't know, seeing as we never got to test them before."  
"Okay…you just keep digging."  
"Hey, Tab-man!" Yo-Yo's voice echoed from outside. "Where'd you   
want the JCB?"  
"Oh, man…"   
  
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.  
"Okay, you mugs. This –" Onishima slammed his metal fist onto the   
map on the table. "This is how we're going to get the rudies.  
"Here, we have the district of Shibuya-cho. And the GGs' base is here."  
"Uh, sir, what about the other rudies? Noise Tanks – Poison Jam – Love   
Shockersurrrrrrrgh –"  
Onishima rammed the unfortunate officer against the wall. "Listen, you,   
I have one of my best agents on the job. The Love Shockers, at present, are no   
more. They have only one member left. She was – uh – unfortunately – at the   
GGs when the eradication took place."  
"What was she doing there, sir?" someone asked.  
"Oh, she and the leaders of the other two gangs are trying to make peace   
treaties with the GGs." Onishima spat out the words as though they were   
vinegar-tasting. "Oh, and she was screwing some Poison Jammer. But I don't   
know much about their social lives."  
"Now, as I was saying, we are going to get – let me see – tanks,   
helicopters, the SWAT team, paratroopers – everything this fricking police   
force has to fricking well offer, and smush those GGs once and for all!"  
"Uh – yes – yes, sir." The other cops glanced at each other nervously.   
"We'll get right on it!"  
"Meanwhile, I'm patrolling the streets. I'm gonna make those punks   
regret the day they picked up a pair of skates." Inside the glass dome,   
Onishima's eyes narrowed. "Let's go."  
  
"Okay, that does it. I'm going out." Cube glared round at the earth-covered   
GGs. "I cannot take this – pneumatic drills, JCBs, KCBs, CFCs, KFCs…"  
"Hey, don't diss the KFC!" Yo-Yo said through a mouthful of fried   
chicken.   
"Yo-Yo…" Beat was massaging his temples. "Shut up. I can't take it   
any more either. Cube, let's go tag."  
"Sure. Sweet."  
  
Outside the air in Shibuya-cho was clean and fresh after the building dust.   
Cube breathed in, feeling her spirits lift, and grinned.   
"Okay, then, Cube," Beat said. "Where shall we tag first?"  
"Ummm…how about Park Street?"  
"Let's go."  
Soon they reached Park Street. Cube began tagging an X-tra large tag of   
Fatal Regrets on the pavement, when suddenly she heard a clunking sound.   
She looked round at Beat, who was tagging on the other side of the road. There   
was a shot.  
"What the – arrrrrrrgh!"   
Cube gaped as a wire shot itself around Beat's chest, pinning his arms to   
his sides. He struggled furiously. "What the hell is this?"  
"Didn't Tab say something about wire spikes?" Cube dashed across the   
road and tried to free Beat, but it was hopeless.  
There was another shot. Cube felt something encircle her waist. She   
looked down in horror and saw the wire tighten around her. She tried to pull it   
off, but it was immovable.   
Suddenly she was dragged off her feet. Moving faster and faster as her   
skates gathered speed, she heard Beat yelp as the same thing happened to him.   
The air stung her face as she hurtled towards the bridge. She looked up and   
saw Onishima standing there. Her heart sank.  
Then they reached the steps.  
"This is gonna hurt," Beat muttered from behind her.  
It did.  
Cube winced as she felt the concrete bite into her shins. As they   
reached the top, she bit back a yelp.  
"This is Shibuya Railways," a familiar voice said. "The two rudies   
dragged up the stairs to Platform O have been caught by Captain Onishima."  
  
Piranha skated idly through the darker streets of Shibuya.   
She hadn't been in Love Shocker territory for a long time. But it had   
been her first experience of rudiedom. She'd been a Love Shocker before   
joining the GGs.   
"Haven't been here in a long time," she murmured. "The old HQ should   
be just around the corner…"  
She turned, and saw the smoking ruin in front of her.   
Her mouth dropped open.  
"He – hello?" she called, hearing her voice shake. She skated a little   
nearer. There was no sound but the clatter of soot-blackened bricks shattering   
on the ground.  
Piranha took a deep breath, and skated under the crumbling doorway.   
Inside the roof had been burnt away, and pale sunlight shone down onto the   
timbers and glass shards covering the floor.  
And onto four charred skeletons.   
Piranha dropped down next to them, feeling tears rise up in her throat.   
She could see they were wearing what must have once been skates. And there   
were other things – one body still wore a twisted, blackened necklace that she   
could dimly remember Shar getting one winter evening.   
"Hey, Piranha, don't you just love those necklaces?"  
"I guess they're pretty nice. Trouble is, we're skint."  
"Oh, come on. I can handle that."  
"Hey – hey, come back with that, you damn rudie! You'll pay for this!"  
"Oh, yeah, sure. See ya!"  
Piranha blinked. Through her tears she saw that the skeletons were   
shattered.   
"You bitch," she whispered, knowing who'd done this. "You bitch!   
Why didn't you just die?"  
She shouted the last sentence, and the building shook. But there was no   
answer. Kell had long gone.  
Where?  
I've got to warn the other gangs, Piranha thought. She got to her feet,   
brushing soot off her trousers.   
"Don't worry," she said, voice shaking, as she stared at the remains of   
her old gang. "I'll make her pay for this."  
  
Meanwhile at the police station, Cube and Beat had been handcuffed to some   
newly installed rings in the wall of the office.  
"What is this place, a prison?"  
"Duh!"  
"Right, you rudies. I have just one simple question."  
"This'll be good," muttered Cube.   
"How do you wanna die? Do you wanna get shot? Or stabbed? Or   
hung? Anyhow, whichever you choose, your bodies will be left somewhere   
conspicuous!"  
"Um, where might this be?" asked Beat.  
"Oh, just hung off the fairy lights in the middle of Benten Square."  
"You have a sick mind, you realise that?" Cube said.  
"Well, my dear Cube, you won't die by my hand, Kell wishes that you   
die by her claws/drills/saws. Heh, heh, heh hahahahahahaha!"  
"Um, we're in trouble?" Beat muttered to Cube, who had gone pale.  
"Duh," she whispered back.  
"For now I'll just throw you rudies in the slammer!" He banged his   
metal fist down on the table. It sent shockwaves through his titanium frame.   
He winced, and Beat sniggered. Onishima roared, pointed his minigun at the   
table, and blasted it to oblivion.  
"Okayyy…um…uh…as long as you don't point that thing at us," Beat   
said, who was understandably nervous now.  
"That's more like it! GET MARCHING YOU RUDIES!"  
"Um, we are handcuffed to the wall," Cube pointed out.  
"Oh. Yeah." The shotguns on his shoulders loaded and blew the rings   
out of the wall. "Now move it!"  
"He's a better shot now," muttered Cube.  
"Oh, crap."  
"And he's not using rubber bullets no more."  
"Oh, crap."  
"And now the GGs are leaderless."  
"Oh, crap!"  
"Hey, wait a minute. The GGs can look after themselves, right?"  
Beat muttered rebelliously.  
"Gum can look after the GGs."  
"Oh, cra – I mean, oh, good. Well, I guess things can't any worse."  
Clanggggg. They stumbled into the cell.   
"Right, you guys, make sure this cell is heavily guarded!" Onishima   
roared. "Use tanks, helicopters, dogs, everything we've got!"  
"Um, sir, you already told us to put everything we've got on the streets."  
"Oh. Yeah. Well, everything we've got here!"  
The officer nodded and dashed down the corridor. Beat noticed that   
none of the officers wanted to be especially close to Onishima.   
The police captain clattered towards them, his face creased into a smile.   
Beat met his eyes, heart pounding as Onishima said, voice rusty from years of   
police cigarettes and doughnuts, "You have twelve hours to live, rudies."  
  
"GUM! Gum!" Piranha leapt into the garage and nearly crashed into the   
JCB. "What the hell – oh, never mind! Gum! Beat! Cube! Anyone! Even   
Yo-Yo! Tab!" She reached down and yanked Future Tab out of a hole by his   
boiler suit.  
"Ow! What's up – oh, wait. I remember. She's wiped out the Love   
Shockers, right?"  
"You knew about this?" Piranha snarled, tearstained eyes narrowing.   
"Why didn't you do something?"  
"Ummm…well, I didn't expect events to move this quickly," Tab said.   
"They're all dead?"  
Piranha nodded, eyes burning. Garam gently put his arm round her.   
Alex, who had been digging in another hole, stood up, covered in earth.   
"She's gonna pay for this," she said matter-of-factly.   
"How can you not care?" Piranha shrieked. "This is your gang she's   
just wiped out! They're supposed to be precious to you! How can you not   
damn – well – care?"  
"I stopped caring a long time ago," Alex said. She smiled, but there was   
no humour in it. Piranha stared at her for a moment, then slapped her face.   
Hard.  
Alex shrugged. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Piranha. But I can't feel   
it. Can't offer no comfort to you. I'm sorry, okay?"  
Piranha gave a snarl of frustration. "You aren't fit to be leader of   
anything, you heartless bitch…" She turned and marched away into one of the   
half-open rooms of the garage.  
  
Alex sighed. She would have liked to join Piranha in her moping, but she just   
couldn't care. And she knew why. Kell had tortured her for months after the   
other Love Shocker had taken over leadership. And she'd fought down the fear   
and pain, and now she was paying for it. Everything else had been frozen too.  
Suddenly a huge clawed hand came down on her shoulder, and she   
yelped. "Shackler, don't do that!"  
"Hey, sorry, Alex. I just – uh – um – well…" She saw panic in the   
Poison Jammer's eyes. "What about the other gangs?"  
"You think Kell will go after them?" Alex asked Future Tab.  
He nodded.  
"We've got to warn them," Gum said, scraping dirt off her dress.   
"Garam and Shackler and me will go to the Poison Jammers and tell'em.   
Gamma, you take some others and go warn the Noise Tanks. Okay?"  
"Hey, who died and made you leader?" Yo-Yo asked.  
"Beat's out, so I'm assuming the role. You got a problem with that,   
buddy?"  
"No – no – not at the moment." Yo-Yo leapt back into the large hole   
and resumed digging.  
"I'll take Mew, Combo and Tab…wait a sec!" Gamma glanced around   
the room. "Where's Tab?"  
"Oh he got the Come-to-the-Rokkaku-Corporation-letter and left a few   
minutes ago," replied Future Tab. "He'll return a genius, much like myself."  
"Oh, shut up," Gum said. "Let's go!"  
  
"Man, I hate this place," Gum muttered, picking her way through the sewers.   
"It's so – Poison Jammy."  
"Hey, you insulting me, honey?" Shackler growled.  
"No, Shackler, I'm just saying. This place makes me edgy."  
"It doesn't make me edgy," Garam said, grinning.  
"That's cos you hung out here. I'm Shibuya-cho born and bred, and it's   
too dark and cold and icky here for me."  
"Where are the other Jammers gonna be?" Garam asked Shackler, trying   
to change the subject.  
"They'll be down the steps, in our spare hideout. Now don't you guys   
go blabbing about this, okay? Or I'll be dead."  
"We can keep our mouths shut," Gum said. She looked round the   
sewers. Geez, this place was so dark. And she swore she could hear the count   
of her own heartbeat.  
As they turned the corner and marched out along the walkway, she   
glanced at the other side of the sewers. The tunnels there looked just as slimy   
as the ones here. Yeuch.   
Suddenly, mingled with the rushing water, she heard the sound of   
skates.  
"Huh?"   
Gum couldn't shake off the horrible feeling that she was being watched.   
She kept listening, but now the sewers were silent apart from the drip and   
trickle of water.  
"Let's do this…" she said, trying to sound confident.   
The trio headed down the stairs, their footsteps echoing around the   
sewers. They looked down the corridor on their right. Sure enough, the three   
Poison Jammers were sitting at the end of it, drinking beer and playing cards.  
"Raharr! Snap!"  
There was a cracking sound as a Poison Jammer's hand hit the floor.  
"Ah, Razer, you idiot, you smushed a card!"  
"Sorry, guys."  
"We'll have to get another deck. Hey, Cutter, go get us one, will you?"  
"Don't worry, guys. I know all the best places to get some."  
The burly Poison Jammer got to his feet and headed towards them.   
Then he saw the three intruders.  
"Huh, Shackler? What you doing here? With GGs?"  
"Ah, come on, man, you know I hang with them sometimes. But look, I   
got some bad news for you all."  
"Well, I got to get some cards."  
"This is more important than cards, Cutter!"  
"Yeah, yeah, tell me later." Cutter pushed past Shackler and up the   
steps.  
Shackler sighed. "Come on, guys."  
He headed into the corridor.  
It didn't take very long to explain what was going on to Razer and the   
other Jammer, whose name was Blade. They believed them. Or so it seemed.  
"You better go find Cutter," Blade said at last. "Sounds like this is more   
serious than I thought."  
"Okay," Garam said. "Come on, Gum."  
Gum swallowed and followed Garam back up the steps.   
"Come on," Garam said, and walked into one of the tunnels. Gum trod   
in a puddle, and swore as the icy water splashed into her skates. The lights   
flickered.   
"Cutter!" she yelled. Silence. "Oh, come on, this is important!"  
The lights flickered again, and then went out.  
Gum swallowed. Okay, she told herself, it's only the dark. Heh. Can't   
hurt me. Only the things in it can hurt me – shut up. Calm.  
"Garam?" she said. "Um – can you hold my hand?"  
"Sure," he said, and she felt her hands gripped reassuringly.  
Her hands?  
"Garam?" she said, her voice going dry. She swallowed and tried to   
sound calm. "Which of my hands are you holding?"  
"The left, I think. Why?"  
Gum swallowed. Her stomach was swirling. "Then – then who's   
holding my right?"  
She didn't dare move. There was someone's hand gripping hers – and it   
felt – sharper than a normal hand – almost – bladed –  
She dared to turn her head. Was the darkness thicker on one side?   
Suddenly there was a crash. "Oh, crap, my shin! Ouchouchouch…"   
The sound came closer. CLANG. "Ow, ouch, my head! Must be a pipe fallen   
or something…where's my torch?"  
Click.  
The faint light reflected off metal plates.   
Kell was standing there. Holding Gum's hand. Her eye glowed in the   
dim light, and shadows clustered around the smirk on her face.   
Gum screamed.   
  
Present Tab skated slowly through the backstreets towards the Rokkaku   
building. Okay, so Future Tab had been exactly right. He had received the   
note, and now he was on his way to meet Koji to get genetic cybernetic healing   
training. Either that, or Koji was planning to take him for a swim in Kogane-  
cho with concrete skates.   
Tab walked up to the huge doors of the Rokkaku complex. It had   
changed a lot since the whole demon-summoning thing. It had got bigger, for a   
start.  
He pressed a button on the intercom. A female voice said, "Please state   
your name and your business with the Rokkaku corporation."  
"Uh – I'm here to collect the – uh – Rokkaku Grand Prize."  
"Oh, come in, Mr Tab. We're expecting you."  
'Mr' Tab, eh? Tab brushed imaginary dust off his shoulders as the huge   
metal doors in front of him opened up.   
He stepped inside. It was one small step for Tab, but a giant leap for   
Rudie-kind.   
(A/N: Yes, we are paraphrasing the moon landing quote. Please don't   
sue.)  
  
Gum ripped her hand from Kell's grip, wincing as her skin was torn by the   
blades that rose out of Kell's fingers. Garam and Cutter stood frozen next to   
her.   
"Hello, honey. Look who's come to play."  
"For an android, you are really sadistic, you know that?" Gum's heart   
pounded in her chest.   
"Oh, I'm not just an android. I'm so much more. Not just a pretty face,   
you know."  
"What, you're a member of Killers Anonymous? And you're not even a   
pretty face."  
"You're gonna pay for that." Kell drew back her drill.  
"Run!" yelled Garam, and the three rudies hurtled down the tunnel, Kell   
in hot pursuit.  
Gum and Garam shot out of the tunnel and headed for the stairs. Cutter   
was not as fast. Just as he raced round the corner, a wire spike shot out and   
looped around his ankle.  
"No…no! Please! NO!" He grabbed a pipe to try and stop himself   
being dragged back to Kell. There was a sickening crack as his leg snapped,   
and he screamed.   
"Come to momma." Kell's voice echoed round the corner. Cutter   
desperately tried to cling onto something, but it was no good. Even as one   
hand closed round a pipe, the glove on it began to slip off…and Cutter slid   
round the corner…they heard him crying out…then the whirr of a   
buzzsaw…and then…silence.  
"Quick," Garam said. "We gotta get out of here."  
They tore down the stairs. "Shackler! Shackler! Kell – get out – she's   
here – run! RUN!"  
"Quick, guys, let's get outta here," Shackler said to Blade and Razer.   
All five rudies charged back up the stairs, just as Kell came round the corner,   
blood speckling her face.  
"Yaaargh!"  
"Quick, this way!" Blade said, indicating the rail. They jumped on and   
ground along it. Soon they were on the bridge. Gum prepared to jump as they   
reached the gap. She tried to stay calm, and not think about the huge cyborg   
grinding along behind her…  
Jump.  
She landed safely on the other side, and looked over her shoulder – to   
see the bridge, worn out by years of rust, crack underneath Kell, and drop her   
neatly into the greenish water.  
Gum pumped her fist in the air, and joined the others in hurrying to the   
exit.  
  
Combo, Mew and Gamma skidded to a halt outside the Noise Tank HQ.   
"This is the Noise Tank HQ?" Combo said. "Two Rokkaku boxes piled   
on top of each other?"  
"That's what it looks like," Gamma said. He walked up to the boxes and   
pressed a nail on one of them. There was a click. The boxes swung to one   
side, leaving just enough space for a rudie to fit through to reach the dark   
passageway behind them.  
"Cool," Combo said.  
A lone Noise Tank walked out. "Gamma, what are you doing here with   
GGs? You said you were gonna hang with 'em but you never said nothing   
about bringing them here."  
"Ah, shut up, Giga," Gamma said. "This is important. We need to   
speak to Omega."  
"Okaay, but I don't think he'll like this."  
The Noise Tank walked back into the HQ and the GGs waited. At last   
he returned with two other Noise Tanks.  
"You idiot! Why are you bringing GGs into our territory?" Omega spat   
out the word GGs like it was a piece of gristle.   
"Calm down, Omega." Gamma feigned looking at his nails. "Of   
course, if you don't want the news about evil mad cyborgs coming to invade   
your territory and brutally slaughter you all…"  
"Dammit, Gamma, you can always wrap me around your little finger,   
can't you? Well, what's going on, then?"  
Combo stepped forward. "It's like dis."  
"When da Lord said let it be light…" Mew murmured from behind him.  
Combo wheeled round and glared at her until she shut up, then said,   
"There's these cyborg monster dudes…well, basically, Kell and Onishima are   
back. Horrible cyborgs. Annnnd…Kell happens to be smushing all the gangs.   
This is not good. So that's why we're gonna evacuate you guys."  
"Where to?" Giga asked.  
"The garage. It's – uh – got a little bigger lately."  
"No way. Come on, let's go, guys." Omega turned away. "If you think   
we're gonna believe that –"  
BOOOM.  
A large gout of flame burst out of the entrance to the HQ, turning the   
crates to ash.   
They looked up, and saw Onishima standing on top of the bridge, rocket   
launcher smoking.  
"Hahahhhhhhaaahaaa! Not so tough now, are ya, punks! Take this!"   
He raised his minigun.  
"Shiit! Run, dudes!" yelled Gamma, and the six rudies hurtled up the   
hill along the traintracks while bullets ricocheted off the ground around their   
ankles.  
"DIIE!" Onishima hefted the rocket launcher and fired.  
  
Meanwhile, back at the police station…  
"How much longer until we die?" said Cube.  
"Hmm. How long did he say we have?"  
"Twelve hours. That was about two hours ago."  
"So…ten hours until we die. Unless the guys save us, of course." Beat   
sighed.   
"RIGHT!" There was an ominous crash. Kell stomped into the jail. She   
did not look happy.   
"WHERE IS HE?" she bellowed at the top of her electronic voice.   
"I'LL KILL HIM!"  
Kell grabbed an unfortunate police officer by the front of his shirt.   
"Where's Onishima?"  
"I – uh – Benten-cho – " The poor man's face was slowly turning   
purple as Kell transferred her grip to his throat. "Gone…to get…rudies…"  
"Well tell him Kell called, and she's not a happy bunny." She threw the   
man against the wall. "If he didn't survive that, make sure Onishima gets the   
message."  
"Uh oh…" Cube felt vaguely sick. She felt Beat put an arm round her   
shoulders.   
"Well, well, well, look who it is. The very princess of Goths herself."   
There was a clang as Kell hurled a filing cabinet through the wall. Then she   
skated towards them, skates scraping the floor.   
"Kell, is that slime on your shorts or are you just pleased to see me?"   
Cube managed to say. She felt Beat snort with suppressed laughter. Kell's eye   
narrowed and a growl rose up from her throat.  
"Very funny," she snarled. In one stride she reached the cell door. With   
a quick flip of the wrist she lifted it off its hinges.  
"Hi, honey, did you miss me?"  
"Like a hole in the head."  
"Cube…it's not an idea to be funny here…" Beat muttered.   
"Take a bit of advice from your little friend. So, Beat, how've you   
been? Did you miss me as much as Cube did?"  
"I think I can honestly say – yes."   
"Oh, geez, am I like a third wheel? You guys should have told me. You   
know, so I could do something about it. Like…get rid of one of the other   
wheels…so I could be the second wheel? Understand?" Her four extra arms   
ripped out of the back of her shirt, and the blades extended from her hands.  
"Come here, honey…"  
Kell grabbed Cube by the arms and pinned her against the wall. "Give   
me a kiss."  
Cube headbutted Kell, hard, in the nose. There was a crack. Blood   
began to pour from Kell's nose.   
"That hurt." Kell grabbed the front of Cube's shirt. "You're gonna   
pay."  
She slapped Cube across the face, sending the rudie flying across the   
cell. Cube hit the wall and crumpled to the floor. Kell began to stride across   
the floor towards her.  
Beat leapt up, pulled Cube to her feet, and raced for the open door.  
Kell gave out a roar of rage and shot out of the empty cell after them.   
Beat and Cube dashed past surprised officers as fast as they could. They   
reached the front door. Beat pushed it open and charged through, dragging   
Cube behind him. He was just about to slam the door behind them when a wire   
spike shot through it and wrenched Cube from his arms.  
"No!"  
"Beeeeeeeeat!" Cube yelled as she was dragged back through the door.   
"Run! Run, you dozy dweeb! Get outta herrrrre…"  
The door slammed, and she was cut off.   
Beat skated away, tears shining in his eyes. He skated all the way to the   
bus terminal. There he dropped to his knees, and screamed to the heavens,   
"Nooooooooooooooo!"  
  
"Dude, we totally finished the tunnels!"  
"Nice going, Tabster man!"  
"Nice going to you, Yoster man!"  
"WHAAAASSSSUUUUPPP!"  
"WHAAAASSSSUUUUPPP!"  
"You two are so immature," snapped Gum.  
"Yeah, we are totally high, Gumster man!"  
"You mean woman, man!"  
"Yeah! Uh – do you think we're high cos of that gas main we struck a   
while back, Tabster man?"  
"Probably. Anyway…I think I'll fall unconscious now…"  
  
Combo leapt through the gate and onto the fairy lights in the square, Mew   
following. Then Gamma, Giga, Data, and Omega.  
"You can't escape me, rudies!" Onishima snarled.  
Combo braked as he reached the central platform above the square. The   
other five rudies crowded onto it with him.   
"Which way, which way? Oh, for the love of God, tell us which way!"   
yowled Data, her voice screeching into the night.  
"Hah, gotcha now!"   
Combo looked to where Onishima was aiming.   
"Uh-oh…"   
The target sights of Onishima's rocket launcher were focused squarely   
on the pole holding up their platform.  
"Jump!"  
BANG  
Five of the rudies leapt. The other one fell.  
"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!" Giga screamed as he plummeted   
downwards. He stared down and saw a shard of metal from the wreckage   
rising towards his chest.  
THUNK.  
"Oh, man…I'm gonna be sick…" Mew groaned. She turned and ran off   
behind a truck.  
Onishima strode into the square, his cracked laugh echoing round the   
square. He was about to charge towards them, but the wreckage was blocking   
his path and he'd run out of rockets. "I'll get you next time, rudies…next time,   
I'll have a bigger rocker launcher…with more rockets!"  
He gave one last snigger at the body lying impaled in the middle of the   
square, then turned and marched away.  
"Giga…" Data said. "No, please don't be dead, please don't be dead…"  
She gingerly lifted off his mask. He coughed blood. His eyes were   
closing as he whispered, "Data…I'll see you later…"  
He gave one shudder, and died.  
Data took off her own mask. Underneath it she had elegant Oriental   
features that were now frozen in shock. Tears spilled down her skin as she   
wept on the body of her beloved.  
  
Present Tab walked slowly through the streets of Shibuya. He had learned a lot   
in the last two hours. He was certain his head had grown at least three sizes.   
"I wonder how the guys are doing," he wondered. "We'll have to build   
some nuclear bomb shelters in the garage. Of course, maybe Future Tab's   
already thought of that. I mean, being me and everything…"  
He turned the corner into the bus terminal, and saw Beat sitting on the   
steps up to the bridge, head in his hands.   
"Beat? Beat, what's happened?"   
"I let her get away, Tab," Beat said, his voice dead.  
"Who? Don't tell me you broke up with Gum again?"  
"Ha, ha. Very funny. I mean Cube. We were in the police   
station…we'd been caught…"  
"You got caught? It's not a good day."  
"Anyway, Kell turned up…"  
"Eek."  
"And, well, she ripped the door off its hinges, and we ran out…"  
"And?"  
"Then Cube…got caught…again…and it's all my fault!" Beat slammed   
his fist into the banister and didn't appear to notice it had started bleeding.  
"Beat, that wasn't your fault. It could've happened to any of us…except   
maybe Combo."  
"But I'm not Combo, am I, and I'm supposed to be able to stop these   
things from happening! I'm the leader!"  
"Look, we'll get her back, okay? You're hardly gonna get her back   
sitting here crying your eyes out. Some leader!"  
"You take that back, mister!" Beat picked Tab up by his boiler suit.  
Tab smirked. "See? You're feeling better already."  
"I hate it when you and Gum do that! C'mon, let's get back to the   
garage."  
  
"So, Tabster man. Which of the girl GGs do you think is the hottest?"  
"Hmm. That's a hard one. Piranha's got the nicest chest…Mew's got   
the nicest butt…Gum is just…cool…and Cube…hmm. Cube's just   
got…cubieness…"  
"Well, she won't have any more cubieness if we don't do something!"   
yelled Beat, dashing into the garage.   
"I take it she's been caught, then." Tab took a sip of his Coke.  
"You knew this? Why don't you tell us these things?"  
"Well, excuuuuuse me. I have been moving the entire garage   
underground all day. I hit a gas main! And a gas man! And then he hit me   
back and Yo-Yo threw Kentucky Fried Chicken at him so he ran off. Anyway,   
I've been busy!"  
"Well, that's not good enough! I need the rest of the GGs, right here,   
right now, on the double, stat! Does anyone have any alcohol?"  
"Don't be a prat," Gum said. "You need a clear head if you're gonna do   
any rescuing."  
"Okay. Okay. I'm calm. I'm calm. WHERE ARE THEY?"  
"Beat! Blood pressure! You don't need to get so upset. You're acting   
like she's your girlfriend – which she isn't…is she?"  
Everyone present remembered the unfortunate incident that had   
happened between Cube and Beat in Benten-cho. Gum and Beat had since   
reunited, but their relationship was – uh – turbulent.  
"No. Nonononono. She's just my – not counting you, Gum, and you,   
Tabs, she's my best friend. And I just happen to be a little worried about her   
because she's been kidnapped by a maniac Love Shocker cyborg! Now, I said   
I wanted those GGs, stat, double stat, on the double, you name it we got it,   
where are they?"  
"Okay, okay, we're calling them up." Gum took out her mobile and   
began dialling.  
Soon all the GGs, three Noise Tanks, three Poison Jammers, and a Love   
Shocker, had arrived in the garage. Beat prepared to form a council of war.   
"Okay, people, here's the deal. Cube has been caught by Kell."  
"Bad thing," put in Future Tab.  
"She's been taken to her secret HQ, and we don't where they are."  
"Another bad thing."  
"But – there are seventeen of us and only one of her."  
"Good thing."  
"We are gonna perform a Tokyo-to wide search. All the rudies will be   
alerted over Jet Set Radio if possible. Leave no manhole cover unturned! We   
are not gonna let one of our own be chewed up by a mad cyborg. We have to   
stick together! So are ya with me?"  
"Yeah!"  
"Uh – okay! Let's go!"  
"Yo, man, yo! Hut hut hut!"  
"Yo-Yo, stop inhaling the gas…"  
"Okay…yoyoyoyoyoyo yoooo!"  
  
"Welcome to my parlour, said the spider to the fly. Or should that be the Kell   
to the Cube?"  
The knife caught the dim light as it was thrown from one metallic hand   
to the other.  
"You're sick. You know that? You're really sick. Not even Onishima   
would make his HQ on top of a graveyard."  
A wire spike pinned the knife to the wall.  
"Ooh, lecturing me, are you? And since when were you as good as   
gold? I thought Goths were supposed to be bad girls. No matter. I'll make   
you be good, huh, Cube?"  
Bladed fingers idly twirled Cube's hair.  
Cube tried to move away, even though she was chained to a chair.   
"Oh, stop fighting it, Cube. You know you want to."  
"Yes. I know I want to…get away from you, that is!"  
"Well, I guess I could keep you alive until I've wiped out the rest of   
your little friends. And I'm not making the same mistake I did last time.   
There's no Love Shockers to desert me this time. No one to desert me at all.   
Because I'm on the winning side. And you're not."  
  



	4. And They Thought It Couldn't Get Any Wor...

Chapter 03 – And They Thought It Couldn't Get Any Worse

(Nik says: Okay. It took days. Weeks. Months. Years, even. But it happened. I got off my ass and posted on ff.net. So please r+r! Oh, and we don't own JSR. We wish we did. But we do own Blizzard. And Kell. (Lucky us.) And Alex and Gamma and Data and Shackler and Omega…Anyway, get reading!)

"Okay. The Noise Tanks, Mew, and Yo-Yo, will take Benten-cho. The Poison Jammers, Slate, Garam and Piranha will take Kogane. Me, Gum, the two Tabs, Alex, and Combo, will take Shibuya. Let's go!"

"Yo! Yo! Yoooooooo!"

"Cube! Where are you?"

"Hey, Cube, can you hear us?"

The rudies' voices echoed around the Kogane residential area. 

Slate walked over to a skinny boy lurking in the shadows by the entrance to a bar. He felt strangely cold suddenly. 

"Uh – scuse me – have you seen a Goth girl rudie round here? Goes by the name of Cube?"

_"No. Not directly."_

The boy's voice was as quiet and cold as frost.

"Oh. Thanks anyway."

_"No. Thank you."_

"Huh?" Slate turned back. The figure stepped out of the shadows. For one crazy moment he thought it was Tab – it wore a blue boiler suit – but he quickly dismissed that idea the next moment. Maybe it was the sharpness of this boiler suit that seemed wrong. Or the ice-blue hair. Or his incredibly pale skin.

"Who are you?" Slate said.

The boy didn't reply. Instead he began to pull off the arm-length leather gloves he'd been wearing.

_"Heh, heh, heh."_

Slate shivered. Why was it so damn cold?

Under the gloves were a pair of metallic wristbands. They seemed to incorporate a pair of small generators.

"Hey, Slate," he heard Garam call. "Who's your friend?"

"I don't know…" Slate turned to see Garam skating up the bridge towards him.

_"Goodbye, then – Slate."_

"Huh?" Slate turned, and saw a bolt of blue energy shooting from the boy's fingers, cold steam rising from it as it came. Slate dived out of the way, and the energy struck the wall behind him. Slate gulped as the bricks were frozen behind a thick layer of ice. 

"What the hell – ?"

Slate turned to run.

He felt something hit him in the back, and he fell. As he got to his feet, he saw to his horror that his hand was quickly being covered by ice, ice which was spreading over his skin like sunlight. It burnt with cold as it covered him. 

From somewhere far away he heard Garam yell, "Shit!"

The Noise Tanks, Mew and Yo-Yo skated down the walkway in Benten-cho, calling Cube's name.

"What if we don't find her?" Data asked Mew.

Mew shrugged. "We start praying. Hey, Cube," she yelled, "where are you?"

"Not here, obviously. Hahaaha!" 

The scratchy voice was coming from the other side of the road.

"Well, look who's here," Mew muttered. 

She saw Data tense up.

"Don't worry," she said to the Noise Tank. "We'll escape him easily."

"I don't want to escape him," Data said, her voice shaking. "I want to kill him like he killed Giga!"

And before Mew could stop her, she'd leapt over the walkway banister, and dashed towards Onishima.

"Data, no!" screamed Mew. "Stop!"

Data charged across the road, ignoring the cars screeching past her. Onishima had seen her approach. He was laughing. And then he raised his minigun, ready to fire. 

Garam watched in horror as Slate's body became encased in ice. His friend lay there, looking like a piece of sculpture, his face frozen – literally – in an expression of panic.

Garam began to run. 

He glanced back, and saw the boy kneel down and place his hand on the ground. It began to freeze, and a wave of ice started to follow Garam down the street.

If I don't outrun that, Garam thought, I'll end up like Slate. The thought spurred him on to greater speed. Quickly he leapt onto the rail of the bridge he was running on, hearing the ancient wood of the floor starting to crack under the enormous pressure of the ice. 

He saw the ice reach the grinding pole, and leapt back onto the swaying bridge. Coming up in front of him was a house. He burst through the door, hearing the bridge collapse behind him. He breathed a sigh of relief – 

One foot wouldn't move.

Garam looked down, a sinking feeling in his stomach. One foot was stuck in the ice. 

"Ah, crap!"

He looked around. Surely the guy wouldn't be able to cross the bridge now?

"Garam!"

Piranha's voice. Through the open front door he saw her and the Jammers dashing towards him.

"What's going on?" Piranha yelled. "The bridge – and why's it so cold?" She gripped his hand. "Are you stuck?"

Garam was about to answer, when he heard sounds from where the bridge was smashed.

The boy was walking towards them, dragging up water from the river and freezing it to make a path for himself. 

"Cool customer," Blade sniggered.

"That wasn't funny," Garam said. He bent down and tried to undo his skate, but the ice had frozen the fastenings. 

"We've gotta get you out of there," Shackler said. He grabbed a plank left over from the bridge, and began whacking away at Garam's skate.

"Hey, watch it, that's my foot in there!"

__

"Don't try and escape, rudies." The boy had reached them. _"I can catch you wherever you go."_

Shackler slammed the plank down onto the ice for the last time, and Garam wrenched his foot free. 

"Let's go!" he yelled.

_"Heh, heheheheh…"_

A spiked ball of ice hurtled towards Piranha. She ducked, and the ball hit the wall behind it, turning it instantly into solid ice. 

Another ice beam hit Blade, freezing him instantly. The ice covered its victim faster this time. 

"Blade!" Shackler yelled.

"We gotta run!" Garam called, and the four rudies dashed through the next house, and down the street.

"Quick, across the gap!" Garam leapt and wall-rode across, Piranha following him.

Razer jumped. "Raharr! Ra –"

Garam's heart sank.

Razer had been frozen to the wall. His feet still touched it.

Shackler saw this too late. 

"Ouch!"

Garam watched in horror as Shackler crashed down onto the stairs below.

_"Heh, heh. Sitting duck."_

An ice beam struck the Poison Jammer.

Garam didn't wait to watch any more. He turned and ran. He could hear Piranha gasping for breath as she followed. Hardly thinking now, he forced his legs to move faster, hoping against hope that something would help them.

There was the sound of more ice being formed. Suddenly the boy landed in front of them, a snowflake held between his two fingers. He smirked, and threw it at them. 

Garam dragged Piranha out of the way, and the whirling snowflake struck a car, instantly freezing it. 

They turned right, and charged down another street. Garam suddenly saw a familiar figure still lying there. Slate. They'd gone round in a circle. And their friend had not melted. This ice was tough. 

Garam moaned. They should have gone into the sewers…

He skidded, and just stopped Piranha from falling into the reddish waters.

The bridge was gone. And they were trapped.

_"It's over for you."_

"Get away from her!" Garam pushed Piranha behind him. He could feel her heartbeat.

He stared into the boy's ice-blue eyes.

And then the beam struck.

Garam gritted his teeth. It was so cold – it knocked the breath out of him – covering him, his arms, his legs, ice rushing over his throat, he screwed up his eyes and felt iciness cover his eyelids, his mouth and his nose, Piranha whimpered and he felt her skin grow cold…

He opened his eyes at last. They were the only part of his body that he could move. 

The world was tinted blue. The chill was eating him alive, but he couldn't even shiver. He felt terror rise up inside him, but he knew that even if he struggled, his panic would be only visible in his mind.

They were all trapped. He only had to hope the guy wouldn't find his friends.

Omega threw himself down the steps, and ran towards Data.

"I'll kill you, you freak!" the female Noise Tank was screaming.

And Omega heard the click of bullets leaving a gun.

"Nooooo!" 

For a second the world seemed to move in slow motion. Omega heard a truck rush past him, its horn hooting. He barged into Data, feeling her warm against his side. The bullets ripped through his chest. And then he was falling…

The grass of the embankment was soft underneath him. Data, looking down on him, was blurring in front of his eyes. He saw red soaking through his Noise Tank uniform.

"Giga…didn't know…how lucky…he was…to have you…" he managed to stutter out. 

Onishima was laughing. "Hah! Some rudies you are! I thought you were supposed to be tough!"

Omega heard the clanking sound as the Police Captain strode away. He blinked a few times. 

"We'll get you to safety," Data said, her voice trembling. "Don't worry, Omega. We'll call off the search for now…"

Omega tried to reassure her, but it was all going dark.

"Cu – ube!" Combo's voice echoed around the Shibuya rooftops. They were near the broken-down Love Shocker HQ. 

"This is creepy," Gum whispered to Beat. "I hope we find her soon. I haven't heard anything from the others."

"Looking for Cube?"

Gum shivered as the familiar voice grated down her spine.

Kell stood on the remains of a metal balcony that protruded from the smashed wall of the building. She was smoothing her hair.

"Where's Cube?" Beat yelled.

"Oh…inside." Kell's voice took on a satisfied tone. "Sleeping it off."

"Sleeping what off?" Gum asked, conscious that she might get an answer she really didn't want to hear.

"Ohhh…let's just say Cube isn't the sweet innocent virgin she once was…"

Gum felt sick.

"Cube wasn't a virgin in the first place," Future Tab yelled, his voice tense.

"Details, details. I just had a little bit of fun with her, know what I mean?"

"Yeah, we know what your idea of fun is," Present Tab snapped. "Pulling the legs off GGs!"

"Oh, that's a good idea. Perhaps I'll practice my new hobby on Cube."

"Let her go!" roared Combo.

"Ooh, temper, temper. You won't get anything in this world if you don't say 'please.' "

"Fine," Combo growled. "Please let her go."

"I can't hear you…" Her voice went sharp. "Get on your knees and beg, big boy."

There was a long silence. Gum realised she was clenching her fists. She decided that if she ever got near the Love Shocker, she would scratch her eyes out. 

Then Combo dropped to his knees in the dust. 

"Please," he said, his voice resonant. "Please let Cube go."

Gum felt tears stab her eyes. She bit them back.

"Maybe. Maybe not. Let me think about it." Kell picked at the blades of her fingers. 

A few seconds passed.

"No."

"You little bitch!" Alex screamed.

"Well, well. Alex. I'm surprised to see you. You escaped the – uh – accident here. I guess that's just typical of an inferior leader."

Alex's eyes narrowed, but she said, coolly, "You'd know about being an inferior leader, Kell."

"Ooh, is that a challenge?" Kell purred. "I love challenges. They make life worth living. Or in your case, worth dying."

"Name your challenge," Alex said, eyes cold. "I won't lose to you."

"Oh, really? Then I think I'll choose…unarmed combat."

"Alex, you seriously do not want to do this. I've seen it happen before. You'll die if you do this," Future Tab hissed.

"Oh, yeah? How about I change a bit of history?" Alex said. "I can take her down whenever I want."

Kell sniggered. "Then let's get it on." She leapt off the fire escape and landed in front of them. The GGs backed away, but Alex remained, facing her.

"Hey," Combo whispered to Present Tab. "This could be a diversion."

"Okay. When Kell seems busy, we'll get Cube. She must be in the factory."

The two started inching away from the group.

Kell and Alex circled each other, staring into each other's eyes. The factory yard was silent except for the crunch of the skaters' feet cutting through the dirt.

Tab and Combo crept round to the back of the factory. Combo pushed the door, and it crumbled in front of them.

"Nice going, Combo man!" Tab whispered, as they crept inside. 

There was a tearing, sawing noise from outside. Both guys winced. Beat yelled, "Go on, Alex! Keep out of her way!"

They crept inside the factory. There was no sign of Cube. Tab softly called her name.

They heard a whimper from one of the dark corners of the factory. 

"Guys?" It was her.

"Cube, we gotta get you out of here." Combo gingerly picked her up in his arms. Her clothes were torn and dusty, her face tearstained, and there was blood on her skin.

Swiftly, they hurried back round to the front. "Move it," Tab hissed to Combo, and then he yelled, "Guys, let's get outta here!"

The GGs ran. But Alex was cornered against a wall by Kell. 

"Gotcha now!" Kell drew back her fist. 

A pale-skinned hand caught it. _"That's enough, mum."_

Alex shivered, and then ran.

"What the hell are you doing?" Kell snapped. "I had her right where I wanted her –"

"I GOT YOU NOW, RUDIES!"

Delta Onishima charged into the yard, firing rockets in all directions.

"I think we'll leave now," Beat said, looking back as the yard became covered in flame.

The boy dragged an ice shield around his body. Kell wasn't so lucky.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, YOU MORON?" she screamed, beating out the flames springing up on her clothes. "I ALMOST HAD HER!"

"Oops…" Onishima gulped. "Heh, heh…sorry, Kell."

Beat ducked round the corner, then stopped to eavesdrop.

"Oh, and by the way, I'd like you to meet someone," Kell said. "Onishima, this is your son, Blizzard. Blizzard, this is your father, Police Chief Delta Onishima. I'm sure you guys are gonna get along just fine."

_"Oh, yes, mum. I'm sure we'll get along just peachy."_

"Right," Beat said when he arrived back at the garage. "Someone had better check on the Kogane group. Yo-Yo – Combo – you go and check they're okay, and tell 'em we've found Cube."

The two GGs threw mock salutes, and headed out. The Benten group had arrived back some time ago. Omega was at present out of danger, and resting in the newly-built infirmary.

"I'll go check on Omega," Data said. 

"Yeah. And the rest of you, sentry duty. We don't want Kell or Onishima to turn up unexpectedly." Beat glanced over at Cube, who was sitting on the sofa, staring blankly into space. "We really don't."

Omega yawned, and opened his eyes as he heard the door slide open.

He sat up a little as a figure approached, but a familiar voice said, "No. Lie down. Are you all right?"

"Yeah. Data? Is that you?"

"Yes."

Omega blinked, and her face swam more into focus.

"Thank you," she said. "I owe you my life."

"That's all right." Omega swallowed. His throat was very dry. "Data – you know how I feel about you – don't you?"

"Omega – don't." Her eyes were closed.

"Please, listen. I've always wanted to tell you – that's why I couldn't let you die –"

"So you would have done if you hadn't felt like that?" Her voice was sharp. She opened her eyes. They were shining with tears. "Omega, I've just – just lost Giga. You don't understand…"

"I do, I do understand!" Omega felt a spark of fury. Why wouldn't she listen? "I love you, Data – I –"

"Please stop it."

Her voice was cold, and Omega closed his mouth.

"All right," he said, dully. "All right. If you're not ready for me, then fine. I understand."

"I'm sorry…" Data whispered, and ran out of the room.

Omega scowled. He could feel his hands curling into fists under the bedclothes. How dare she still hold a torch for that stupid, babbly fool?

He drew a deep breath of frustration. It wasn't fair. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. He'd told Data his true feelings, and she'd rejected him. Well, fine. Fine. He'd just find some girl who didn't mind giving him what he wanted.

It was growing dark when Combo and Yo-Yo returned. Beat heard them before they got there. Or rather, one of them.

"Annnnnd…he's coming up to the goal…he's showing amazing control here…will he score and win the final game of the ice hockey season?…he's coming up to the goal…he shoots…AND HE SCORES!"

The garage door burst open, and a large, strangely-shaped lump of ice skidded through it. Beat studied it. It looked kind of like two people. Two familiar looking people.

"Oh."

Yo-Yo burst in after it, doing a victory dance. "He wins! He's the champion! Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah!"

Combo followed, looking strained. He was carrying three more ice sculptures, one on each arm and one on his shoulders. 

"Um – are these discount at the mall or something?" Gum said.

"Nope. These are three Poison Jammers, Garam and Piranha. Better get the furnace ready."

"We have a furnace?"

"Yep. It's newly installed at the back of the tunnels."

Beat rapped his knuckles on one ice sculpture. "This is terrible. Hang on – where's Slate?"

"Oh. Well. You see," Yo-Yo said, "We was like picking up all the ice sculptures, right? And then, you won't believe this, right, this dude jumps down, grabs Slate, makes this ice bridge into the air, and runs off with him. We got the others, but Slate, right, is still a human Popsicle…"

There was a moan from the corner, and Beat saw Cube collapse. He remembered that she and Slate went out together, and glared at Yo-Yo.

"Oops." Yo-Yo blushed. "Sorry…"

"Get her into the infirmary," Beat said. "And Yo-Yo, keep your fat mouth shut next time!"

He suddenly thought of something. "This guy…was he pale? About our age? Weird whispery voice?"

"Yep."

"Kell's son," Beat murmured. "Well, well, well."

"Her son?" Gum said. "Who's the dad?"

"Onishima."

"Eeeuw…" 

"Remember, she slept with him so that she could get him to leave the Love Shockers alone and smush us?"

(A/N: See Down And Out.)

"Oh, yeah. Well, it sounds like he's as psycho as she is."

"Oh, I don't know. He did save Alex." Beat grinned as he remembered Kell's snarl of rage. "Well, we'd better get this lot down to the furnace and hope they'll defrost."

Garam had been trying to switch his brain off, but it hadn't really worked. He was cold. He was so cold he was almost blacking out. And he couldn't move a muscle. At this rate he'd be dead by tomorrow. 

He had cried out, in his mind, but he could make absolutely no sound.

Was Piranha okay?

Suddenly he felt a slight relaxing of pressure on his fingers. Tentatively, he tried to move them – and he could. 

Was he finally going crazy? No, he could move his whole hand now. Okay, maybe he was having an out-of-body experience. 

_"Garam? Are you okay?"_

"You alive in that, man?"

I've gotta be hallucinating, Garam thought. Unless I've got lucky and they really are gonna save me. 

_"Yo, Garam, man! Are you gonna defrost soon?"_

Great. Even Yo-Yo was a good sound to hear. It was better than the absolute silence of being locked in a prison of ice.

He tried to move his head, and heard a squeaking crunch of breaking ice. The view was becoming clearer, less blue…and the voices he could hear were becoming louder.

"I think he's alive, guys…"

Of course I am, Garam tried to say, but his mouth was too cold. He shook his head, and more ice fell off it. He blinked, and looked around.

He was standing next to a large, barred door, beyond which he could see flames. Most of the GGs were standing around him, looking concerned. 

"Hey…" he managed to say. He was shivering. It was a beautiful feeling. I can move again! he cheered silently. He would have done a victory dance if he hadn't been so cold.

"Give him a blanket," someone said, and he felt warm cloth being wrapped around his shoulders. It was marvellous.

"Come and sit down," Beat said. "Boy, you had us freaked for a moment."

"Is Piranha okay?" Garam said. Slowly the warmth was returning to his body. It stung, but he wasn't complaining.

"Yeah, she's fine. We rotated you guys, and she melted first. Blade's out, too…We're still waiting for Shackler and Razer."

They walked up some steps, back into the main part of the garage, which looked the same as it always had. Piranha was sitting there, wrapped in a blanket with a cup of cocoa in her hands. 

"Garam," she said. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay…"

"I'm fine," Garam said. "Are you?"

"Yeah…" Piranha's face was haunted. "I don't think I've ever been so scared, though…"

Garam had to agree with her. Now that he was moving and talking again, the thought of returning to what he'd been like earlier was horrifying. 

"We lost Slate, though…" Piranha said. "The ice guy kidnapped him."

"Great. Just great. How's Cube taken it?"

"Not good. As far as I know, she fainted and she's still in the infirmary."

Omega lay in the infirmary and sulked. 

It was about twelve p.m. Data hadn't been back. Bitch.

He looked across to the other bed. Hey…it was that Goth GG. She was pretty cute, he figured. She looked kinda like Data.

In fact, she was really cute…

She moaned, and shifted in the bed. Omega heard her whispering something. He strained to listen.

"Coin…Coin…"

Wasn't that her boyfriend or something?

(A/N: In this fic, Coin is Slate. See Down And Out.)

Omega sniggered. Well, no prizes for guessing what she was dreaming about. All right for some. He felt himself glower.

He looked round the darkened room. No one else there. There'd be no harm in just having a little fun…helping her dreams come true…

He got up, wincing from the stitches in his chest. He was still pretty weak. But he reached her bed at last.

Geez, she really was cute. If only she was Data…

He leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

Yo-Yo was sitting outside the infirmary reading a porn magazine. He was on duty there that night, and had decided to bring a little light reading to make the hours pass faster.

Suddenly he heard voices from inside the infirmary.

"Uhhhh…Coin, stop it now…"

Cube. And Coin. Yo-Yo shrugged. 

_Hang on. Coin is Slate. And Slate's been turned into a Popsicle and kidnapped by Kell's son._

Oh, yeah…so what's going on in there?

She's probably fantasising.

Woah! Get the video camera!

No, that would be mean. Just go and see she's okay.

Spoilsport. Why does my brain have to be so damn self-righteous?

Yo-Yo got to his feet and walked into the infirmary.

He blinked at the sight before him.

That Noise Tank – Omega – was standing by Cube's bed – kissing her.

Yo-Yo's mouth dropped open.

Cube moaned, and Yo-Yo heard her say, "No…stop it…please!" She sounded frightened now.

"Hey, you bastard, get the hell off of her!"

Omega stood up. His eyes narrowed. "It's not like you're her boyfriend. Why'd you care, you sad little pervert?"

Yo-Yo marched over and shoved Omega. Omega stumbled, and fell into the bedside table with a crash. He kicked out at Yo-Yo's ankles, and the smaller rudie fell on top of Cube. 

Her eyes flickered open, and then she screamed. 

"Get off!" she yelled. She was crying. "Leave me alone!"

"Cube – I didn't –"

She punched him. Yo-Yo staggered away, groaning.

The door flew open, and Beat, Mew and Combo dashed in.

"What's going on?" Beat yelled. "Cube, what happened?"

Cube was crying too hard to speak, but she pointed at Yo-Yo.

Combo's eyes narrowed, and he reached Yo-Yo in two strides. "You scummy little bastard! How could you?"

WHAM!

Yo-Yo flew across the room, closing his eyes as the view spun. He hit the wall, and waited for the world to stop rocking so much. He didn't get the chance. Beat ran over to him, and lifted him up by the anorak.

"Yo-Yo, I don't know what the hell you were thinking, but – "

Yo-Yo cried out as Beat's fist hit his face. He heard a crunch as his glasses broke in two.

"Listen, you guys, I didn't do it!" Yo-Yo cried. "It was –"

Mew ran out into the corridor, then came back, clutching the magazine. "Look what he was reading! No wonder he wanted to try it on!"

"But it wasn't me!" Yo-Yo heard his voice shake, and tried to calm down. "It was him – that Noise Tank guy!"

"Oh, sure. Like Omega could do it. He was shot!" Mew spat out, and slapped him. 

Yo-Yo broke down and sobbed. 

"Okay, okay, let's be calm," Beat said. "Cube – who did it?"

Cube rubbed the tears off her face, and pointed at Yo-Yo. "I…I was dreaming…someone was kissing me…and…and…I told them to stop…and they wouldn't…and I woke up…and he was on top of me…"

"Right, that settles it. Yo-Yo, you're out of the GGs!"

"But – but – look, it was him! He did it! I stopped him!"

Combo hauled Omega up to face level. "What happened, buddy?"

Omega swallowed. "I – I woke up, and saw that little dude kissing her. And – uh – she didn't seem to like it, so I tried to stop him, and he shoved me and I hit the table."

Combo gently put Omega down on the bed, and then picked up Yo-Yo. "Get out."

"But it wasn't me!" Why wouldn't they believe him?

"Get out!" Combo dropped him and raised a chair. 

Yo-Yo slammed the door as the chair hit it. His hands were shaking as he gripped the doorhandle.

He turned and ran, through the silent tunnels, out into the dark Shibuya streets.

It was a clear night. Yo-Yo walked down the street, kicking a squashed Coke can, his misery slowly turning to anger.

That Omega had just sat there and lied. Cube, okay, she probably didn't know who done it, but he damn well did! And he just lied…I'll get even with him if it's the last thing I do!

And the other three. I thought they were my friends. Even Mew. Well, she'll never look at me now.

Yo-Yo rubbed his bleeding nose with his sleeve. This had to be one of the lowest points of his life so far…

Suddenly a grating voice echoed across the road. "Reach for the sky, rudie scum!"

"Let me think – no." Yo-Yo carried on walking.

"Huh? Wait a minute, you should be scared of me!"

"Maybe I just don't care any more." Oh lord, and I started crying in front of Mew. Yep, I'll just let him shoot me.

"Um…uh…systems do not compute…Damn!"

"What do you mean? Can't you handle the fact that I'm not scared of you? You're pathetic."

"Oh, come on, – uh – Yo-Yo – innit – are you a GG or not?"

"No. They chucked me out."

"Ohhhhh." Onishima's voice became calculating. "So – uh – don't you like 'em any more?"

"Duh – no."

"Well…do you have anything in mind? Like – uh – revenge?"

"I would if I could." Yo-Yo pictured Omega and felt anger tighten his throat.

"Wellll…it just so happens I know someone who could help you." Onishima was actually sounding friendly. 

"Oh, yeah? Who?"

"Oh…just a friend in a high place. You know him as Koji Rokkaku. He can help you get revenge…Look what he did for Kell. And for me!"

"Hmm. I don't know…"

"Come on, Yo-Yo. Me and you, we can go places. Come on." Onishima placed his arm around Yo-Yo's shoulders.

"Oh…all right. It's not like I've got anywhere else to go."

"That's the spirit. We'll have you up and revenging in no time." Onishima led him away towards the Rokkaku building. 

(Tallulah: Oooh…I love making Yo-Yo suffer…oops, did I say that out loud? Ahem, yes, please r+r you wonderful people!)


	5. The Wrath Of Yo-Yo!

The Wrath Of Yo-Yo

(Yo! Yo-Yo is back! Right. Okay. We don't own JSR, and the names Koji, Data, Giga and Shackler belong to NoiseTank XIII. Not us, him. However, the characters of the characters are ours so paws off! Please r+r!)

Cube sighed and felt miserable. Again.

It was six o'clock in the morning. She hadn't slept all night. Every time she'd closed her eyes, she'd remembered it – bionic hands on her body, one covering her mouth, the other touching her, caressing her…feeling cold metal bite into her wrists as she struggled to get away…

Cube felt her stomach lurch, and buried her face in her hands.

If it wasn't that, it was remembering her dream…she and Coin…together…safe…and he'd kissed her, and that had been nice, but then it had got too heavy, and she'd wanted him to stop….and he wouldn't…and terror had poured through her at the realisation that he wasn't going to…And she'd struggled to wake up – and it hadn't stopped. There'd still been someone lying next to her, someone kissing her – someone she'd thought she could trust. Another GG.

Cube clenched her fists. Talk about history repeating itself. Kell had done this to her twice now. Twice. What sort of idiot got herself done like that twice?

And Coin had gone. Again.

She knew that if only he was here, she would be all right.

But he wasn't. And from what the other GGs had said, he was dead by now. Frozen to death. 

Cube felt tears come to her eyes. She couldn't cope with this. She'd had enough. Someone up there had a sick, twisted sense of humour to let this happen to her again. 

Well, they'd won. She was crumbling. 

She got out of bed and headed out of the infirmary.

It was very quiet. No one else seemed awake. Rudies liked to sleep late. Cube made her way to the kitchen. She'd decided what to do.

She closed the kitchen door and stood in the morning sunlight that streamed across the floor. Listened. Still silence. Good.

She opened one of the drawers, and took out the vegetable knife in there. It glinted in the sun.

Cube took a deep breath. So they wanted to see her hurt, did they? Well, fine. They'd see how she felt.

She bent back her left wrist. The veins were dimly visible below her pale skin. Her right hand held the knife. Her palms were damp, but her hands were steady. 

Here goes.

The door opened. 

Cube brought the knife down towards her wrist.

A large hand grabbed her right arm, and pulled the knife from her fingers.

"Don't." Combo sounded shaken.

"Combo, let me end it." Cube tried to grab the knife back. 

"No. I can't let you do that."

"Why not? My life isn't worth living. Every time I think I'm handling it, someone slaps me down again."

"How d'you know? We don't know that Slate's dead."

"Oh, yeah? How long do you think he's going to survive like that? You saw the others when they came out. There's no way that Slate's still alive."

There's no way I can still be alive. Slate had been drifting in and out of consciousness for some time now. Sooner or later he knew he'd drift in and not out again. And he could no longer feel the cold. He could no longer feel anything. 

He could hear ringing in his ears. This is it, he thought. The darkness began to take over his eyes. At least maybe in heaven he'd be able to move again…

Just as he was about to black out he felt the ice sliding away from his body. He blinked, and tried to see…but all he could make out was darkness.

"Uhhh…I'm blind…"

_"No. It's just my hand."_

Slate made three connections. One, he was talking. Two, he was shivering. Three, he could feel the guy's hand on his forehead. 

The ice was gone. 

The guy let his hand drop. Wrapping his arms around himself, Slate looked around. He was in a prison cell. The blue guy handed him the blanket off the cell bunk. Slate wrapped it around himself, noticing with not a little worry that his hands seemed sort of dead. They couldn't feel the inside of his gloves. Still, there wasn't much he could do about that at the moment.

_"I'd better go. I'm making this place colder than it already is."_

The blue guy stepped out of the cell, relocking the door behind him. Slate noticed the increase in temperature.

"Th – thanks," he called.

_"No problem."_

The guy turned and walked off down the corridor.

"Okaay…" Slate puzzled it out. "I just got saved by a dude who tried to kill me in the first place… this is too weird."

"Welcome, Mr – uh – Yo-Yo, to the Rokkaku Corporation." Koji paced proudly through the labs. 

"Uh…yeah. Hi. Um…Onishima said you could help me get revenge."

"Oh, yes, that is very easy for us, Mr Yo-Yo. Trust us. We are here to help." Koji held out his hand.

Yo-Yo's brain was in turmoil.

_What? What? He's a sleazebag! Leader of the Rokkaku Corporation! Bad guy, remember? Demons! Assassins! Guys with jet packs shooting you! Mad Poison Jammers! Mad brainwashed Poison Jammers! Are you nuts?_

Yo-Yo shrugged. He shook Koji's hand.

"Combo, let go of my arm." 

"Sorry, Cube, no can do."

"I'm not gonna ask you again. Let go. It's my life and I'm free to end it if I want to."

"Cube – if you end your life, then I'll have to come too so I can be with you and look after you. And dat really mucks up my social life, because the new Jurassic-5 album's coming out."

"Don't try and make me laugh, Combo. I'm not going to stop."

"Even if you do punch me, I doubt you'll be able to get your arm out of my grip. Now knock it off, okay? You're tougher than this. Remember your tag? Tougher Than You?"

"I'm not, though. I can't stand this any more."

"I'll help you. Come on. The guys need you. Slate needs you. Heck, I need you."

Cube sighed, and, hardly knowing why, she let him take away the knife. Then she hugged Combo. Combo hugged her back.

"Come on. Let's get you back to bed."

Cube let Combo escort her back down to the infirmary. 

"Oh, yeah…Combo. I never got to thank you."

"For what?"

"For going down on your knees in front of that slimy, good for nothing bitch." Cube felt a sob rise up in her throat. "You didn't have to…"

"You know I'd do anything for you." 

"Thanks, Combo. I needed that."

"You're sure this thing's gonna work?" Yo-Yo looked nervously at the giant apparatus around him.

"Oh, of course, Mr Yo-Yo," Koji said, smoothing his goatee. "The chances of you being injured are incredibly remote."

"Well, if you're sure."

"Of course. Now, I will place the Brain Wave Isolator And Deatomizer on your head."

"Okay. What does this thing do, anyway?" Yo-Yo asked as the machine hummed into life around him.

"Oh, it just wipes your brain."

"What? Oh, man, now I remember where I've seen this before! It's one of those helmets you put on the Poison Jammersssssss…"

Yo-Yo slumped in the chair.

Koji pressed a button on one of the panels. It slid open, and in came three scientists carrying a metallic suit.

"Begin the creation of Assassin Number Eight," Koji said. 

Slate was humming 'Recipe For A Perfect Afro.'

"What? What the hell? How on earth did you get out of that ice?"

Slate looked up as Onishima stormed along the corridor towards his cell. He decided not to mention the blue guy – evidently he'd been going behind the Police Chief's back.

"Uhhh…I thawed about curry…and beaches…and beautiful babes?"

Onishima scowled. "Well, you shouldn't be able to thaw that ice at all. BLIZZARD!"

The blue guy strolled into view. _"Yeah, dad?"_

Dad? Slate gulped.

"How did that ice melt?"

_"I don't know. Maybe he was close to a furnace or something. It's not permanent. Not unless I want it to be."_

"Well, it melted. Explain! Now, or you're grounded!"

_"Ooh, I'm really shaking. I don't know how the dumb ice melted. Now just get off my back about it."_

"You're almost as bad as those rudies," Onishima muttered.

_"Don't compare me to those freaks."_

"Freaks?" Slate yelled. "Take a look in the mirror, sometime, bozo!"

"Shut up, you," the other two snarled.

Slate carefully stepped away towards the back of the cell. These guys were weird and dangerous. 

Suddenly there was a loud crash from overhead, and the sound of a buzzsaw.

_"Dad, what the hell is that?"_

"Don't call me dad. That's – uh – your mum throwing a tantrum. It appears she lost her little pet."

_"Cube, isn't it?"_

"Yeah. Those damn GGs busted her out. But not before Kell got a little fun out of her." Onishima sniggered.

Slate rushed up to the bars, the blood pounding in his head. "Hey, you bastard! What the hell do you mean, she got some fun out of her? If that bitch touched her I'll kill all of you!"

"Ah, shut up, rudie, like you could do anything to any of us." There was a thump that shook the ceiling. Onishima sighed. "I'd better go and try and calm your mum down."

He clattered away. 

"Hey, Blizzard! Ice dude!" Slate called. "What happened?"

Blizzard turned and walked over to the bars. _"Ah…how can I put this nicely? Wait – I can't. My mum – uh – screwed your girlfriend."_

Slate grabbed Blizzard's boiler suit and slammed him against the bars. He was surprisingly light, but Slate was too angry to notice. "I'll kill you, you – you cold-hearted, blue, son of a bitch! You and your fucking mum too!"

_"Hey, back off. It wasn't like it was my fault or anything. If you want the truth, I actually saved one of your own kind – and I don't know why I bothered." _He shook himself free from Slate's grip. _"They're right. You rudies are worthless anyway."_

"Guys, here's the plan." Beat slammed his fist down on the table. "We have to rescue Slate."

"Oh, great, not another rescue," muttered Gum.

"Hey, I'm not leaving one of our own in that – that police station!"

"Welll…I suppose we have to get him out." Gum sighed. "It'd do Cube some good to see his face again."

"Okay. I reckon it should just be me, you and one of the Tabs."

"Fine. I'll go find Present Tab." Gum walked out of the kitchen and started to head towards the tunnels.

Just then an explosion knocked the door clean off its hinges.

"What the hell? –"

GGs came rushing out of the tunnels to see what had happened.

A short figure was standing framed in the doorway. The light glinted off its gold-coloured armour. It stepped into the room. Then they realised. It was wearing skates. 

Beat studied the figure. Its hands seemed to be glowing with a kind of red energy, and the Rokkaku symbol on its chest was smoking.

"Who – who are you?" asked Future Tab. 

"You mean you don't know?" Beat asked.

"No, this never happened in my future."

"Uh-oh."

They heard a monotone voice. "Primary target selected. Termination imminent."

The figure raised an arm and pointed at Beat. The red energy began to charge up.

"Get down!" yelled Gum, and threw Beat to the floor. A blast of laser ripped over their heads and disintegrated part of the infirmary door.

"Eek," muttered Future Tab.

Omega stuck his head through the gaping hole in the door. "What the heck…"

The monotone voice changed in pitch. "New target selected. Will terminate with extreme violence."

The being unfolded some wings. Two cannons popped out of the wings and aimed at Omega's head.

"Burn in hell, scumbag," grated the voice. 

There was a whooshing noise, and two rockets took off towards the infirmary. One hit the remains of the door and blew them to oblivion, and the other just missed Omega and sent him flying against the wall.

The figure skated into the infirmary and picked him up by the front of his jacket in one hand. The other hand began to charge up a laser blast. This one would not miss.

"Lemme go!" Omega struggled to get free. One hand caught the figure's mask, and knocked it off. It clattered to the floor.

Everyone gasped.

"Yo-Yo?" Gum stammered out at last.

"What are you doing?" Mew yelled. "Put him down, Yo-Yo, put him down right now!"

Yo-Yo ignored her. He brought the laser very close to Omega's head.

Omega panicked.

"OkayokayIadmitit! It wasn't him! It was me! I'm the one who hit on Cube now please don't kill me don't kill me don't kill me!"

There was a fizzing noise, and the aerial on top of Yo-Yo's head spat out more electricity.

Yo-Yo suddenly screeched, dropped Omega and clutched his head. "Guys…" he struggled to say. "What's going…on…"

"Yo-Yo, come on," Mew yelled. "You can do it! Come on, what happened to the nice little kid I used to know?"

"I…am…not…your slave…" Every word seemed an effort. 

"Come on!" Mew came closer to him, gripped his shoulders.

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!"

Yo-Yo wrenched the control headpiece off his skull, and then collapsed on the floor in a cold sweat.

"Yo-Yo?" Mew knelt down beside him. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…urrgh…geez…my head kills…" He fell unconscious.

Combo marched into the room. "So."

"Eep." Omega gulped.

"You're the one who bothered Cube."

"Uh…yeah…heh, heh…"

Combo looked down quite pleasantly. "I'm going to kill you," he said. "No, I'm not joking. You're gonna die."

"Guys, grab him!" Beat yelled. Every rudie in the room leapt onto Combo. He tried to get to Omega. He swung one arm, rudies trailing off it like streamers. 

"Combo, violence is not the answer!" Beat yelled, clinging on like a limpet. "You do not want to fight!"

"Yes, I do."

"Why?"

"This bastard made Cube try and commit suicide!" Combo roared.

"Oh." Beat thought about it. "Okay, everyone off."

"Wait! Wait!" Omega backed away. "Aren't you on my side?"

"Hello?" Gum snapped. "You make our friend try and kill herself, we are definitely positively absolutely _not _on your side."

The rudies were now walking towards Omega, looking murderous. 

"Wait!" Data rushed between them and him. 

"Are you crazy?" Gum snapped. "He's a pig!"

"I know. I know. But you don't want his blood on your hands. Just let him go. I'll make sure no rudie ever speaks to him again."

"Data…"

"Don't talk to me." Data didn't even look at him. "Now get your butt out of here before I let them get you."

Omega scrambled to his feet. 

Yo-Yo blinked and sat up. "Hey, guys, are we killing that Noise Tank? Let me help!" He pointed one of his arms at the ceiling and fired.

There was a loud crash, and a shower of plaster decorated the GGs.

"Oops. The trouble is, now I'm no longer under mind control, I sort of forgot how to use this thing…"

"Go practise outside!" Gum ordered.

Yo-Yo trudged outside, and the GGs felt explosions rocking the ground, and a voice muttering, "So if I do _this, this _happens…"

"And as for you," Gum snapped, turning on Omega. "Go. Now. Or suffer the consequences."

Omega ran. 

"Hey, come back, you baka!" There was a sound of lasers hitting walls. 

"Yo-Yo!" Mew yelled. 

"Sorry…Spoilsport. Hmm. What does this button do?"

A short silence, then…

"Wooah! I'm flying! Yo! I'm flying! Woo-hoo! Yee-ha! What? No – wait – how do you turn this thing – uh-oh – Yow!" 

There was a metallic clang. The GGs winced. 

"We'd better get him out of that suit," Gum said. "Tabs, get moving."

"I'll kill them!" Kell threw a few chairs into the air and pulverised them with her fist. "I'll kill them all!"

"Well, you won't have to," Onishima said, quickly sliding the remaining chairs away from her. "I've already got one of my best agents on the job."

"Oh, yeah, and who might that be?" Kell snarled. "Don't tell me you're trying bugs again."

"No, I've actually turned one of the GGs into a mindless cyborg Assassin."

Kell thought about it, then shrugged. "Cool." 

Onishima's mobile phone went off. "Just a second." He answered it.

"Hello?…Yeah…Uh-huh…What?…Well, can't you try and…no…well, no one's gonna like this…namely me. Uh-huh. Well, ciao."

"Something went pear-shaped?" Kell said sweetly.

Onishima glared at her. "We lost the signal from his mind-control helmet. Which means he's taken it off. Damn!"

"Oh, well…I guess this means I get to play with the GGs again…right?" Kell smirked.

"Oh, all right. Go have your fun."

"Oh, not today, honey…I'm a little tired…aren't you too?" Kell sidled closer to him and wrapped a large arm around his shoulders.

Onishima looked nervously at the buzzsaw next to his head. "Umm…yeah…but what're we gonna do about the GG downstairs?"

"Oh. Slate." Kell sighed. "You think we should let Blizzard have some fun with him….cos I sure wanna have fun with you…"

"Oh, stop it!" Onishima shoved her off. "Fine, Blizzard can kill him. But you might want to send a ransom note to the GGs anyway. It might be useful."

"Sure, sure. But after we've finished our…um…business."

Outside the door, Blizzard shuddered. His parents could be really sick when they wanted to. 

So, they wanted him to kill the rudie? With what? 

Blizzard looked nervously at his hands. His ice powers? But that wasn't killing. That was just reducing pursuit. Right? 

He glanced at a wall, and froze it. Hmm. Looked okay. He tapped it, and it crumbled into a million pieces. 

Kell and Onishima were making out on the other side. 

__

"Oops. Sorry." Blizzard shut his eyes. _"Just testing out my powers, you know…got a little carried away…"_

"Like hell you did," Onishima snarled. "Get out of my sight!"

Blizzard dashed away down the stairs. Soon he'd reached the corridor leading to the cells. 

Surely he couldn't have killed people. His parents might be a little wacky, but they'd have told him, right? 

On the other hand…his mother seemed to like hurting people…something he'd never liked to think about…and his father hated rudies. 

But that was okay, too. Rudies were evil. They were worthless. They didn't do anything but go around scribbling on walls. Everyone he'd known told him that. 

Oh, it was too hard to think. Maybe the rudie's input would make things clearer. 

Blizzard walked down the corridor and stopped outside Slate's cell. Slate was sitting in the corner staring out of the window.

"What do you want?" he snapped as Blizzard approached.

_"Just wanted to talk."_

"Like I want to talk to you? Your mum screwed my girlfriend!"

_"Why do you care?"_

"Duh! She's my girlfriend! I just said that! And your mum is…well, a psychotic evil bitch! And Cube's only just got over the last time this happened. So I'm a little bit pissed off right now!"

Blizzard mulled it over. The whole speech was baffling. 

__

"What's a girlfriend?"

Slate looked at him in surprise. "Uh…you don't know what a girlfriend is? How old are you?"

_"About…a year old, I think."_

"Okay, this is weird." Suddenly Slate's eyes narrowed. "Hang on…you're like our age…and so is Kell. How can she be your mum?"

_"Ohhh…Koji Rokkaku stuck me in an aging machine when I was ten months old. And gave me these ice powers. Unfortunately, I didn't learn all the things that you guys must have done in your childhoods. Mum and Dad told me some stuff…and the machine taught me stuff like talking and walking and reading…but there seems to be a lot I don't know."_

"That is really sick. Poor you." Some of the bitterness left Slate's voice.

_"So I was just wondering. What's a girlfriend?"_

"It's like…a girl you really, really like…someone you love. And who likes you back. That bit's sort of important."

Blizzard thought about it. _"What's love?"_

Slate groaned. "Oh, boy. Love is…um…sorta, well, you know what to like something is, right?"

_"Yeah."_

"Love is like that, only like a hundred times stronger. If you love a person, you want to…sort of spend the rest of your life with them. Like I do with Cube. I guess."

_"Oh. Uhh…can I ask you something else?"_

"I guess so."

_"Would I have killed you if I'd left you in that ice? It just…I thought you looked a bit uncomfortable in there, so I took you out."_

"I think I can say with absolute certainty – I'd be dead if you hadn't taken me out of that ice."

__

"Oh, no…" Blizzard swallowed. Suddenly his stomach felt icy cold (even colder than normal.) _"Excuse me…"_

He rushed from the room and was sick.

Once he'd finished, he didn't feel any better. His hands were shaking, and his skin was speckled with flecks of frozen sweat. 

"Hey, you okay?" Slate called.

Blizzard walked back in. He shivered. That was extremely unusual. 

"Geez, settle down," Slate said. "It's not like you killed anyone."

_"How do you know?" _Blizzard gripped the bars, trying not to freeze them solid. _"The others who were with you…"_

"My friends picked them up. They'll have defrosted them. Unfortunately you picked me up before they could."

_"My mum told me to. I was supposed to collect all six of you, but when I saw your friends I kinda panicked. I just feel…scared…I've got the power to kill people…"_

"Hey, it's okay. You're in control of yourself, aren't you? It's not like you're going to go psychotic and run around freezing everyone in sight."

_"But why didn't they tell me?" _Blizzard said miserably. _"They're my parents…"_

"How can I put this?" Slate said. "Your parents are…um…mentally different from most of us. In a word, nuts."

_"My parents…are psychos?"_

"Yeah. Sorry."

_"Well, how do I know I can believe you?" _Blizzard demanded. _"You're just a rudie, anyway."_

"And what's that supposed to mean? You said you saved one of us!"

_"Yeah…well…I just felt I had to…" _Blizzard remembered the odd feelings he'd felt at the sight of the girl. _"Anyway, everyone knows rudies are scum!"_

"What? Everyone? Would these people who told you that happen to be known as Kell, Onishima and Koji Rokkaku?"

_"Yeah. So?"_

"Well, they hate rudies. Kell was one once, but –"

_"My mum was a rudie? Yeah, right!"_

"She wears skates, doesn't she? Anyway, they want you to think that so you can help them kill us. They all hate us GGs."

_"GGs?"_

"That's the name of our gang. And a gang is like a group of friends, in case you didn't know. Anyway, Onishima hates all rudies for some vague and unspecified reason, Kell hates the GGs because we almost killed her…that was an accident, or so I'm told. I wasn't there because I was helping a friend your mum had stabbed."

_"My – my mum stabbed someone?"_

"She has a habit of doing stuff like that. Don't tell me you haven't noticed. Anyway, Koji hates us because we defeated his father who was trying to take over the world with a demon." 

__

"Okay. My ideals are now totally screwed." Blizzard tried to absorb all the information he'd just gathered. _"And my mum and dad want me to kill you."_

"Oh. Okaayyy…Blizzard, old pal…can you get me out of here?"

_"Uh…I suppose." _Blizzard gripped the bars. They turned to ice. He kicked them, and they shattered.

"Woah. Blizzard, you are one cool dude."

_"I'll take that as a compliment. Right?"_

"Yeah. Cool means, like, radical, and radical means good. Only don't say radical, cos it's not cool any more."

They crept along the corridor.

_"Okay. So radical is no longer radical. I'm beginning to understand."_

Slate pushed open the front door of the police station. "Hey, Blizzard, why not come with us?"

_"Uh…"_

"It'll get you away from all the killing."

_"Okay. I'll get to see that girl again, right?"_

"Which girl was it?"

_"She had pink hair and a uniform like my mum…but she was much prettier."_

"That would probably be Alex. So let's go."

Suddenly – 

"Ah hah! Trying to sneak away with my son, are you?" Onishima leant out of the upstairs window, minigun aimed at Slate.

"I'm not sneaking away, I'm running away!" Slate yelled. "Totally different!"

He and Blizzard started to run.

Onishima yelled, "Hey boys! Stop those two right now!"

Slate groaned as he heard the familiar "Hut Hut Hut," echoing around them. Soon he and Blizzard were surrounded by police infantry.

"Blizzard, you've got to use your powers and get us out!"

_"But I don't want to kill anyone…"_

"If you don't do something they will kill us and it will totally not be cool!"

_"Uh-oh…moral dilemma…"_

"Yo, yo, Slatester man! Yo-Yo air taxi here to save the day!"

Slate looked up. Yo-Yo was wearing a strange robot suit and hovering above them, laughing madly.

"Yo-Yo?"

"That's right, Slate! I've come to take you back to Cube! Oh, man, it's the ice dude – run! Run!"

"No, wait – Blizzard's on our side now."

"Ohhh…okay…Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times!"

Yo-Yo swooped down and picked up the two guys and they headed off back towards the garage.


	6. New Additions And New Relations.

New Additions and New Relations

Cube heard voices. Sitting up, she tried to work out who they belonged to.

"Cube? Cube, where are you?"

"Slate?" It couldn't be, she told herself. This was another dream. 

"Cube, where are you?"

She nervously got to her feet, telling herself she was just checking, and stepped out into the main part of the garage. 

"Slate!" 

He stood there, and she ran towards him. Please don't be a dream, she begged silently. Please…

He hugged her, and she knew he had to be real. 

"Cube, are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she whispered. "Are you? How did you get out of the ice? Yo-Yo…" She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Yo-Yo said you were a human Popsicle…"

"Long story, babe." He kissed her. Cube tried to enjoy it, but she felt her stomach tense with fear.

"You know I hate being called babe." 

Slate laughed. "I'm a charmer, I know it." His face turned serious. "Cube, I know what happened. I saw how hurt you were the last time. When I heard I – I was worried about you…"

"I'm fine." Cube didn't know why she was denying it. Maybe she didn't want to worry him. And yet he was worried anyway. Where was the logic in that? 

"Combo told me you tried to slit your wrists."

Cube looked away from him. "Well, I don't want to now, so forget it."

"Cube, you tried to kill yourself…and you say forget it?"

"Yes, I say forget it." Cube glared at him. "I'm over all that now."

Why couldn't she let him in, tell him she still woke terrified by nightmares, tell him she felt like she was walking a tightrope and that any day now she'd fall? This was one of her oldest friends. This was the guy who'd stuck up for her through thick and thin. 

But she couldn't tell him.

Slate didn't look convinced by her show of competence. "Well…I'm here for you, all right?"

"I know." She rested her head against his shoulder, wondering why she didn't feel cheered by that news. 

Blizzard walked in, and Cube moved away from Slate. "It's Kell's son! Get outta here, Slate!"

"Don't worry, he's on our side."

"How do you know that?" Cube demanded.

"He helped me escape."

"Fair enough…but I still don't trust him that much."

_"I am sorry that you do not think well of me,"_ Blizzard said. Cube shivered. The air was turning colder. _"I had better leave."_

"No, we need you on our side," Slate said. "I know. I'll introduce you to Beat. The head man."

_"Let's go."_

Cube looked after them. She felt herself glower. How could Slate do this to her? He had befriended Kell's child. Kell. Cube shuddered. This was wrong. He could be just like her. 

If he put one toe out of line, she'd make him pay.

Beat was busy tagging the tunnels. When he saw Slate and Blizzard coming towards him, he dropped his paint can. "Arrgh! The ice dude!"

"Blizzard, I think you're gonna get a lot of this."

_"It's okay. That's what I am, isn't it."_

"What – uh – what are you doing here?" Beat asked.

"He's changed sides," Slate said. "He got me out of jail. And we talked, and he's not half as bad as his parents. And besides, he's dangerous when he's on their side. His name's Blizzard, by the way."

"Uhh…okay…Blizzard, I know this is kinda rude, but…how do we know you're not just being a double agent?"

_"Okay…You don't. But you could take my word for it. Please? I don't want to end up like my parents. All they do is hurt. And – and kill. I hate it."_

"Welll…I guess we can trust you, then. Welcome to the GGs, Blizzard. Put her there." He held out his hand, and Blizzard nervously shook it. 

Beat began shivering. "Aaahh…nice grip you got there." His hand was covered in a light film of ice. 

_"Sorry." _Blizzard concentrated, and the ice vanished. _"I'm not in full control of my powers yet. So if I like, accidentally freeze someone, you won't get mad, will you? I can fix it."_

"Sure. But I think you'd better let me do a proper introduction."

"You gotta be kidding me," Kell said, slowly and dangerously. She took a sip from her wine glass. "My own _son _freed that big-nosed freak?"

She trembled with rage, and the glass shattered. Blood-red wine spilt over her claws.

"Uh, I'm afraid so, Kell honey." Onishima swallowed. "I can see you're angry…"

"You haven't _seen _me angry. This is mildly annoyed." Her buzzsaw cut through one leg of the table. "And I'm annoyed because I had plans for that orange-coated idiot."

"Why? Cube I could understand, but…him?"

"Slate mucked up my chances of getting rid of Cube last time. He was one of the ones who tagged my back. It's personal now. And…" She smirked. "I know that Cube lurrrves him…and if she gets his head delivered to her in a crate, it may totally destroy her and leave her wrecked and warped for the rest of her life. And that would make me very happy."

"I see why you're pissed," Onishima said. "But could you stop chopping the legs off the table?"

"Okay…Onishima…maybe just for you. Anyway…" She became more business-like. "We have to get all of them. With no survivors."

"And how do you propose to do that? Rudies are like roaches in that respect."

"Ohhh…I think one of the Assassins is in order."

"Kell, all the Assassins are in jail and even I can't get them out."

"Not all of them." 

"Yo-Yo and Blizzard are on their side."

"Oh…haven't you heard of Assassin Number Nine? Koji didn't tell you about him? Oh, how silly of him. I'll have to fill you in myself…"

"Oh, boy…" Onishima sighed. "Why do I have a feeling this is going to make me feel less happy about being a cyborg?"

"Ohhh, it's nothing to do with that. You just have another son, that's all."

Onishima gasped, choked, and clutched his chest. "What? If I had a heart, I would have had a heart attack by now! What the hell are you talking about? Blizzard is my son!"

"Duh. I had twins."

"Oh, no. Oh, no. Oh, no…" Onishima clutched his dome. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope. Little Blaze is just as real as you and me. You see, he was backup in case the aging process didn't work on poor Blizzard. He was kept young for about a year longer…in order to monitor any side-effects in his brother. But now...well, Koji's decided we need an ally. So…Blaze has been brought into the picture."

Onishima snarled. "Let me guess. His power is fire."

"Oh, how clever of you! Did I name him okay?"

"Fine. Deploy him. Little rodent."

"Guys, you may be wondering why I called this meeting," Beat called.

"You bet we are! We could be working in the tunnels!"  
"Tabs, shut up. Okay. We have a new ally."

"Oh, boy…as if the garage wasn't busy enough already." Gum sighed. "Who is it, then, Beat?"

"No – I haven't got the Terminator. But I have the next best thing. Hey, Blizzard!"

Blizzard walked out to the front of the room.

"Guys – meet Blizzard. He's Kell's son."

"He's Kell's – what the hell is he doing in here?" yelled Gum. "Kell is, like, our worst enemy!"

"No, he's different. He's on our side. He got Slate out of jail."

"Okay, if you trust him, we trust him. Right, Tab?"

"Yeah, Tab, you are so right!"

"Ummm…I don't know…" Piranha said. "No offence – uh – Blizzard, but you kinda have a bad ancestry."

_"Oh, boy…look, I know my parents aren't exactly – well, human. But I don't want to be like them. I want to be like you guys. You know – have friends. Be nice to people. I'm sorry I froze some of you. I thought it would just slow you down. I didn't know it could kill you. Gaining fifteen years in two seconds…well, I didn't pick up all I should have done on the way."_

"What do you mean?" Garam asked.

Slate quickly explained Blizzard's strange childhood. 

"Ohh…that's weird. So you're like only a year old?" Tab said. 

_"Yeah. It's weird, I guess. But…please – please let me join? Please teach me all that stuff you rudies do…skating and stuff…please?" _His face glowed with longing.

"Well, guys, what do you think?" Beat asked. "Let's vote. All in favour of Blizzard joining, say aye."

There was a multitude of 'ayes' in different parts of the room.

"All opposed, say nay."

Silence. 

"Blizzard – I welcome you to the GGs!"

At the Rokkaku Building…

"Good morning, Miss Kell, Mr Onishima. Your son is fine."

"Hello, Koji," Kell said. "We would like to release him. Assassin Numbers Seven and Eight have gone AWOL. We need backup."

"Very well. You! Release Assassin Number Nine!"

The acolyte scurried away, and the three waited.

There was a noise from the adjoining room. "Uhhh…what's going on…"

"He may be a little groggy," Koji said. "He has been in stasis for some time."

"Hey, you're not Koji Rokkaku! Get out of my sight!"

There was a scorching sound, a scream, and the man raced out of the room, his coat in flames. He threw himself into Koji's swimming pool.

"Get out of there!" roared Koji. "It's just been cleaned!"

The man scrambled out and scurried away, dripping at every step.

"Blaze?" Koji called. "Come out here. Your parents have come to see you."

"My…parents? Oh, boy, this'll be good. Let's see what kind of a freak show I have for a family."

"Can I hit him now?" Onishima whispered to Kell.

"Not yet. We haven't been introduced. After we take him back, we can beat the crap out of him."

The door swung open, and a boy stepped out.

He looked oddly like Blizzard, a little taller, but his hair was auburn, and his skin was warm and tanned. His eyes were a dark, crimson, red, and a sneer twisted his mouth.

"So these pocket calculators are my mum and dad. Koji, where's my real parents?"

Kell walked over, picked him up by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "Listen, boy, I'm your mummy. If you're good, I'll read you a bedtime story. If you're bad, I'll pull your head off and feed the rest of your body to the crows. Okay?"

"Woah. My mum is cool," the boy muttered. "Can you…uh…get off my throat now?"

"Oh, am I hurting you?" She dropped him. "Good."

"Okay, Blaze, these people are now your guardians. You will obey them. It was a pleasure having you here at the Rokkaku complex."

"Pleasure being here, Mr Rokkaku." Blaze spoke sincerely. "See you around, okay?"

"Come on, boy, we've got rudies to smush," Onishima growled.

"Oh, good, a bit of killing." Fire flickered round his fingers. "If killing rudies is a regular part of the day, then I'm in."

"So, Blizzard, is this your first time on skates?" Alex asked as Blizzard fell over for the fourth time that day.

_"Uh – yeah."_

"Well…it helps if you don't try and walk normally. Ever been on ice skates?"

_"You bet."_

"Well, try and move like that."

Blizzard concentrated, and managed to skate quickly along the pavement. _"Hey, thanks! Wow, I'm actually skating!"_

"Hey, wait up!" Alex moved to catch him. "By the way, I gotta thank you for stopping your mum kill me."

_"Oh…oh, that's okay." _Blizzard looked down at his feet. He could feel himself getting nervous. _"It was nothing. I hope she's not holding a grudge, though…"_

"Don't worry. Kell's got grudges against all of us. Just join the club."

_"I heard that Kell was – she did some bad stuff to you. I'm really sorry."_

"Forget it." Alex spoke very lightly. "You weren't anything to do with it. If my calculations are right, you weren't there at the time."

_"I know. But I just wish…I don't know. I wish I could have stopped it. They've done so many bad things. You…and that dark-haired girl…and they wanted me to kill Slate…"_

"Stop it." Alex stared out towards the rooftops. "You're different now. So am I. They can't get either of us any more."

Two watchers surveyed the skaters below them.

"So…dad…who's the blue guy?"

"Oh, that would be your little brother."

"Really? Leave him to me." Blaze cracked his knuckles and leapt off the rooftop.

"Aah…" Onishima sighed. "Makes me remember when I was human."

"Hey."

Blizzard turned at the voice echoing behind him.

"Who're you?" Alex said. "And – and why'd you look like Blizzard?"

"Duh! I'm his older brother, honey. Come on, bro. Mum and Dad miss you terribly."

_"No, they don't." _Blizzard could feel his heart pounding in his chest. _"They want to use me as a killing machine."_

"Yes, because that's what we were created for, remember?" The boy sneered. "Oh – and who's the chick?"

_"None of your business." _

"Heh. Little bro's got a girlfriend."

Blizzard swallowed. He didn't want to meet Alex's eyes. _"Back off," _he hissed.

"Make me."

Blizzard shot out a beam of ice. As it struck Blaze, it melted.

"Uh-oh…" Alex said.

"Oh, I'm really scared. Now, it's my turn."

Fire formed between his fingertips. It shot forward, and incinerated a car.

Blizzard made an ice club appear in his hands, and leapt towards Blaze. As he swung it at his brother's head, Blaze laughed. "Too easy." The club melted as a blast of flame evaporated it. 

Blizzard was stunned. His powers had never failed him before. But he was also angry. This guy was really getting under his skin. 

_"Right, you asked for it!"_

He clenched his fists, then raised them in front of him. A large blue corona appeared around his hands, and hundreds of sharp icicles the size of pens shot towards Blaze.

"Interesting," the guy said, and a flame shield appeared in front of him. The icicles melted on impact.

"Hey, hothead! How about you cool off a little?"

Alex ripped off the cover of the fire hydrant near them. The water shot towards Blaze, knocking him off his feet and flinging him against a wall. Steam billowed from him. 

Dripping wet, he snarled, "I'll get you next time!" He blinked water out of his eyes, got to his feet, and squelched off.

Alex laughed. Blizzard tried not to. Blaze could defeat him easily. And next time there might not be a hydrant to hand. 

"Hey, Blizzard, you okay?" Alex came closer to him, put a hand on his shoulder.

__

"Yeah, sure, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I can feel you're angry."

_"And how would you know?"_

"Come on, don't close me off. I know what it's like to be angry. Or at least I used to."

He looked up at her. _"Oh, yeah?"_

Alex shrugged. "Never mind." She slid a casual arm around his shoulders. "At least we're alive."

"Alex?"

They turned to see Shackler standing at the end of the street. He was obviously in the grip of some strong emotion, but whether anger, fear or misery they couldn't tell.

"Can I talk to you a minute?" he said.

"Sure. I'm not going anywhere," Alex said.

"I mean in private."

_"Sure, I'll leave. I know when I'm not wanted." _Blizzard began skating away.

"Blizzard, wait –"

But it was too late. He had skated round the corner and out of sight. 

Another cop thudded to the ground, blood dribbling from the stump of his neck. Kell was in a bad temper.

Blaze was hiding behind Onishima, which was an amazing feat seeing as his dad was several inches shorter than him.

"You let him get away," Kell said at last. "Okay, let's go over this one more time."

"I met up with Blizzard…"

"Okay so far."

"And then we started fighting, and I was kicking his ass…"

"Yes…"

"And then his girlfriend…some dumb Love Shocker…sprayed me with water and my powers went temporarily off-line. How is that my fault?"

Kell's eye narrowed. You could almost see the cogs of her brain working under her head. "Some dumb Love Shocker?"

"Yeah. They seemed pretty pally."

"When you say…pally…do you mean…pally as in friends…or as in something more?"

"Difficult to say. Blizzard sure had the hots for her…" He sniggered. "But I don't know much about his social life. I try to keep myself out of the gutter. She could've fancied him back…or she could've been being nice to the poor sap."

"This is an interesting development," Kell murmured. "I think after I've killed a few more cops…" She flicked blood from the buzzsaw. "I'll be all calm, and then we can go smush those dear little rudies."

"Okay, that's it." Onishima stepped forward. "Stop killing my cops."

Kell looked at him. "Are you going to stop me?"

"If I have to." Onishima glared up at her.

"Let me tell you something, Onishima. Koji gave you one big flaw. Unlike me, you have a life-support system." She tapped his dome with a bionic finger. "If I was to – uh – hit this thing too hard – it would be bye, bye, Onishima – and just little Kell left. With Blaze in the background, of course."

"You wouldn't dare." Onishima's eyes narrowed as he spat out the words.

"Wouldn't I?" Kell raised her fist.

There was a nasty silence for a second. Then Onishima sighed.

"Okay – okay – you can kill some cops. Only rookies, though. No more veterans. I'm just going out for a walk to – uh – clear my head."

"Okay. See you later, lover boy."

Onishima stepped out of the police station and hurried off towards the Rokkaku building.

Alex and Shackler skated into a side alley. Alex screeched to a halt, and said, "So come on, Shackler. What's all the secrecy?"

"Uh…okay." The burly Poison Jammer shifted his feet. "Look, Alex, this is kinda hard to say…but I really…I really like you."

"That's sweet," Alex said lightly, trying to cover the sinking feeling in her heart. "I think you're a really good friend."

"No. I don't mean like that. I mean I – I fancy you. I think you're cute. I guess I'm trying to say –"

Alex looked at him and wished she could skate away. 

"Alex, will you go out with me?"

Alex licked her lips. "Look – Shackler – that is really kind of you and I really appreciate it but – but I'm afraid I just like you as a friend. And anyway, I sort of like Blizzard in that way."

"Blizzard?" Shackler's anger flared up, and Alex stepped back a few paces. "He's a freak!"

"He's not a freak," Alex snapped. "Just because he's not like you –"

"Damn right he's not like me! He's a psycho and his parents are evil bastards! How can you even think of liking him like that? Especially after what Kell did to you –"

"I don't care about that," Alex said, trying to hold down the fury in her voice. "I'm sorry I can't say what you want me to hear, but that's no reason to lay into Blizzard. Now I don't see any point in continuing this conversation. Bye."

She turned and skated away before he could answer. Behind her she heard a shatter of glass, and someone yelled, "Hey, watch it! You rudies should be arrested!"

"Like hell we should," Shackler snarled, and she heard him skate away in the opposite direction. 

Alex sighed. She didn't want him to be hurting. But she couldn't help him. She'd thought she'd locked love away with all the other feelings, but when she'd seen Blizzard, she'd felt…something…and she hadn't done that for months. 

Was it because, like her, he was different, isolated from those around him?

Alex shrugged. Whatever. She couldn't help Shackler's rage. But she could help Blizzard's hurt. She had to find him.


	7. Big-Bad-Robo Type Dudes.

Big Bad Robo-Type Dudes

For the next few days, things were kind of quiet around Tokyo-to. The GGs began to go out tagging more regularly.

Then it happened.

Combo and Cube were tagging the bus terminal. Cube was feeling a little more on her feet. 

"Combo?" she said as she tagged the two taxis parked under a billboard. "Do you reckon that maybe I'm gonna be okay?"

"Well, there's been no sign of Kell and Onishima, has there?" Combo called down from the platform above her. "Maybe they ran out of batteries. Let's finish tagging and get back. I got some big bowl of curry waiting for me back home." 

"Whatever you say. I'm done down here. You done up there?"

"Yup." Combo leapt down and landed next to Cube. "Come on, kid." 

Cube grinned. Combo had been the one person she could lean on during all this. Slate had been so mad with Kell that he was permanently tense, and she couldn't forgive him for taking up with that ice guy. But Combo had just been the same as always – dependable and safe.

Suddenly there was a bang.

Combo leapt forward and shoved Cube to one side. 

Cube fell, and as she did, there was a massive explosion. She felt the heat on her skin as it threw her across the ground. 

Then everything went quiet. 

Cube froze. She didn't want to look round. 

A charred box landed in front of her vision. Combo's ghetto blaster. 

Trembling, Cube sat up and made herself turn and see what had happened.

Combo was lying there. Well, most of him.

Cube looked to where the shot had come from. There was a large metallic figure standing on top of a building. She squinted. She couldn't make out anything more than a silhouette, but whoever it was…hell, it was big. Much bigger than Combo. 

Then it turned, and dashed away over the rooftops. 

Cube turned her attention to Combo. Quickly she got out her mobile phone and called the garage.

"Hello? This is Beat speaking."

Cube opened her mouth to speak, and found she couldn't.

"Who is it? Kell, if it's you, get lost…"

"Beat – get the Tabs. It's Combo."

Soon the Tabs, Beat, Gum, and Slate, were racing into the bus terminal.

They saw Combo.

"Shit," both Tabs said simultaneously.

"Oh, boy. Who the hell did this?" Beat asked. 

Cube shrugged. Slate dropped down next to her and carefully placed an arm round her. She was trembling.

"Neo-Onishima," Future Tab said.

"Who?"

"I was hoping he wouldn't get created." Tab sighed. "He's the reason our dimension fell. He's the heavily upgraded version of Delta Onishima. We are talking serious bad-ass guy here. Just before I went back here, he killed Beat, Potts and Gum." 

He turned back to Combo.

"It's okay," Slate said to Cube. "It's okay."

"No. No." Cube shook her head. She was breathing very fast. "It's not. He pushed me out of the way. He took it for me."

Slate didn't answer. He couldn't think what to say. Combo had always been his best friend. Before the GGs. Before Cube had arrived. He felt tears sting the back of his eyes, and quickly blinked them away. He had to be strong. 

The Tabs were bustling around Combo, checking his body with various scanners and other pieces of medical equipment.

"Well, what can you do for him?" Beat asked.

"There's two things we can say. One, he's dead and there's nothing we can do. But two, we can reanimate him as a cyborg. It'll be a tough job, but I reckon we can handle it. Right, Tab?"

"You bet, Tab."

"Right. Then get him back to the garage and get busy."

"Don't worry, we'll have him up in no time. He'll be fine."

Slate watched as the others began to transport Combo back to the garage. He couldn't get up. He sat there, his arm round Cube's shoulders, his mind numb from shock.

Combo went into intensive care as soon as they got back to the garage. The Tabs put on their operation outfits and went to work.

Cube and Slate waited outside the operation theatre as the day wore on. There was no news from the Tabs. Slate was becoming increasingly worried. 

He looked over at Cube, who was sitting a few feet away. She was crying silently. He hadn't dared talk to her. She'd seemed to be relying on Combo so badly. And now – 

It was too hard to speak to her. He didn't know what to say.

"Slate?" 

Cube's voice was husky from crying. He turned to look at her.

"He'll – he'll be okay, right, won't he?" 

"Sure he will. He's got the Tabs." Slate tried to sound hopeful, but he could hear his voice sinking.

"Oh, Coin…" She fell into his arms. 

She usually called him Slate most of the time. Coin was reserved for moments of emotion. This definitely qualified

"I just want him to be okay…" she sobbed as he held her. "I just want him to be okay…"

It was three o'clock in the morning when Future Tab came out to them.

Slate could feel the chair digging into his back. He blinked, and sat up, yawning. "Well? What's going on?"

"I have some good news and some bad news," Tab said. 

Slate gently elbowed Cube, who had been dozing next to him, and she rubbed her eyes.

"What?"

"Well, the good news is, Combo's stable. We've placed him in stasis. The bad news is…he's not alive. We can't animate him without a molecular reanimation unit. Otherwise known as a bionic heart. I don't have one 'cos I used it on Combo in the future, and Present Tab doesn't have one because Koji never gave him one because he detected the flux in the continuum caused by my arrival."

"So what does that mean?" Cube asked. "What can we do?" Slate could feel her shivering. There was a thin line of streetlight shining in through the window, catching her face and glinting on her tears.

"Well, you personally can't do anything," Tab said. "But I think I may be able to provide a solution to our dilemma. I might be able to recreate the time machine I used to get here, and go back to my own future."

"What good would that do?" Slate said.

"I could see if I could find a bionic heart there. It's the only way. They're not in existence here, and won't be for another three years or so, and we don't have that time."

"Okay. Do what you have to," Cube said. "Can – can we see Combo?"

"Sure."

Cube and Slate walked into the operating room. Combo lay in the middle of it in a glass coffin like the ones Kell and Onishima had been in. 

"Combo?" Cube walked forward. 

"He can't hear you," Present Tab said. "But feel free to talk to him anyway."

Slate came to stand next to Cube, and they both stared down at their friend.

One side of his face had been metal-plated. He'd lost an arm, and it had been replaced by a metal, clawed appendage.

"Tab? Why the claws?"

"I like claws," Present Tab said coolly. "And we might need them, if Kell attacks." 

Slate gazed down at the coffin. It was lit by a dull blue light which cast shadows onto his and Cube's faces.

"Will he be…different?"

"Only physically. Mentally he'll be happy as a clam. We managed to save his brain. Just like Koji did with the Terrible Two."

Slate felt rage flicker inside him at the mention of the two horrors that had carried out this atrocity. Tab seemed to voice his thoughts. "Boy, what I'd do if I had them right here, right now…and a couple of giant robots to back me up, of course."

"I'm gonna stay here," Cube said. "In case anything happens."

"But nothing will happen –" Present Tab began, and then was cut off as Future Tab clapped a hand over his mouth. "Come on, me, let's – uh – go and – uh – polish the scalpels, okay?"

They clattered out.

"Don't worry," Slate said. "We'll get them for this."

And for what they did to you, he thought, but didn't say. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Sure." Cube sat down next to the coffin. 

"Are you gonna be okay?" He couldn't help remembering the mention of scalpels, and knowing how depressed Cube was gonna be…

She must have guessed what he was thinking. "Slate, I'm not going to do anything. I have got to be there if – when he wakes up, so don't worry. Just go to sleep."

Slate kissed her, and walked out. 

But he didn't go and sleep. Grabbing a few paint cans, he dashed out to the night.

The next day, Beat was woken by his clock radio, and by Professor K's voice booming into his ears.

"This is Jet Set Radio in the morning! And in our first news item, the police station has been completely and utterly tagged – again!"

(A/N: See Down And Out.)

"This tag ain't so pretty as the last one, but it's still got its own sense of style. It depicts Captain Onishima and his – ahem – associate Kell getting decapitated! Some rudie's sure got a grudge out there! So alla you kits, kats and dawgs out there, stay cool and keep tagging!"

(A/N: Ta, Disk. Kits, Kats And Dawgs is his line.)

Beat sat up straight. _Huh?_

Okay, who mused, who went tagging last night?

Me – no. Tabs – no. Combo – no. Duh. Cube – no. Garam and Piranha – no – I heard the noises from their room next door. Yo-Yo – nope – was trying to get into Mew's room again, and Mew was barricading the door, so not her either. Gum – no – Gum was in here last night…

Beat hauled his mind back from the gutter and carried on his roll-call. 

Hmm. Slate. Where was he last night? I'll ask him. Maybe he knows.

His thoughts were interrupted by a bang from the lab, and one of the Tabs yelling, "You fool! You absolute idiot! I said a low, get this, _low _charge, but nooooo, you had to go and put it on full power, didn't you? – you blew up the whole project! Great! Brilliant, me!"

"Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!" the other Tab retorted. "When you said, 'Put the power on, Tab,' did you specify? Noooo. Am I in the wrong? Nooo. Is this all your fault? Yeeeees!"

Beat got up and walked out into the lab where the two Tabs were standing nose to nose glaring at each other.

"What are you guys doing?"

"What do you think we're doing? We're having an argument!"

"What are you building?" Beat asked, looking at a smoking contraption sitting on the lab table.

"A time machine."

"Why?"

Future Tab quickly explained the problem with Combo. "So I'm going back to my future to see what I can find."

"But isn't that a little dangerous?"

"Yeah, but it's the only thing I can do."

"I'm coming with you," Beat said.

"No, you're not."

"Why not? I'm the leader and I say I'm coming."

"Yeah, well, in the future, you're a mouldering corpse right now. And I don't want you to become one in the present as well."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take."

"Cliché," muttered Present Tab. "Anyway, no one's going anywhere until we've got this thing fixed, no thanks to you, me…does that make sense?"

"No. And it wasn't my fault, it was your fault."

"Okay, I'll leave you two to it," Beat said, preparing to leave. "But I'm still coming, okay?"

As Beat closed the lab door behind him, he heard the explosions and insults begin to fly again.

An hour later…

Beat, the Tabs, Cube and Slate all stood before the powerful machine. Future Tab had been particularly pleased with it. It was a lot more sleek than the last one.

"This is it," he said. "I'll see you guys in approximately 2.5 seconds. If all goes to plan."

"Okay," Beat said. "Let's go, Tab."

"What do you mean, _let's _go?"

"I'm coming too."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am." He gripped Tab's arm. "Let's go."

Tab sighed. "You are an almighty pain in the butt, you know that? Let's go."

The two rudies stepped forward. Present Tab started tapping at the keyboard attached to the machine. Beat started to hum the Digimon time-travel music.

A blue vortex opened up before them. 

Tab took a deep breath. "Beat – let's go back to the future."

They leapt into the vortex. 

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!" 

Beat screamed his head off as they tore down a huge blue tube of light lined with strange chain-like patterns. Every atom in his body was being wrenched apart as he and Tab roared through the circuits of time. 

Tab seemed to be flickering before his eyes like a badly-tuned TV. His boiler suit changed colour and sped through the spectrum. Everything was getting faster, and faster…until Beat's vision was obscured by a gigantic flash of white light.

When he came to, the scene was incredibly different. Almost the exact opposite of what he'd been through.

The air was cool and heavy, and spattered Beat's skin with dust grains. He blinked, trying to clear the flickering lights from his vision. Once he'd done that he wished he hadn't. There wasn't anything worth seeing.

They stood in the centre of what might have once been a room. A few charred bits of iron wall stood upright against the withered sky. 

In the corner was a twisted, blackened heap of metal. Beat walked over to it. Its glass panel had been smashed, and the tags and graphics on it were scratched and burnt, but he could still recognise it. 

The GGs' pinball machine.

"Oh, boy." Beat turned to Tab. He was feeling pretty dizzy, and under that was a numb horror of what must have happened – what would happen. "This isn't…"

"Yup. I told you this wasn't gonna be pretty."

Beat looked around, shivering. "Do you know where to start looking?"

"Sure. Where Combo's body now lies. The bus terminal. Come on."

Tab picked his way through the rubble. It crunched under his skates. Beat followed him, unable to believe that this shell of a building was the place he'd come to call home. It couldn't be. It just couldn't be.

"Do you know the way?" he asked Tab, who was walking some way ahead.

"We both do."

Beat looked around at the shattered buildings. "How? How can you tell?"

"Beat, this is the street where you first met me and Gum. You know the route. Just walk it, okay?"

Beat looked around them. They were walking down a pavement which had been cracked and torn like paper, surrounded by empty, derelict ruins. And it was silent. Painfully, horribly silent. All he could hear were the sounds of his and Tab's skates.

They walked past a twisted metal structure that still had scraps of paper impaled on it. The billboard he'd once wall ridden on. Next to it were the remains of a rail.

A memory echoed in his mind. 

_He faced the girl, trying not to act too smug. He could see she'd thought he wouldn't be able to do it. Jump onto a car. Geez, did she think he was just out of kindergarten or what?_

She glared at him and said, "Not bad. Now try this next run."

She leapt up onto the glossy railing and ground along it, sparks flying from her skates. She jumped off at the end, and faced him, hands on hips, her shadow thrown across the smooth tarmac. "See if you can do that!"

"No problem." He leapt onto the rail, and shot along it, the hiss of his skates mingling with the city sounds. As he reached the end, he leapt, wall-rode off the billboard, and did a method-back flip before landing just in front of her. Her eyes narrowed in the sunlight.

Beat blinked. The golden image faded.

"Come on!" Tab yelled, his voice faint. "I don't want to stay here any longer than we have to!"

"Coming." Beat followed his friend. They walked past what should have been the bridge. Most of it had disappeared. Only one flight of steps was left, leading up to nowhere. 

As he and Tab slowly made their way past the wrecked buses, they came upon what appeared to be the mutilated remains of a car. Tab paused. 

"Here's where it happened. Where we lost Combo."

"Where's the heart?" Beat could see blood spattered across the ground. And pieces of twisted metal. He could just make out a bionic hand. 

"Here." Tab was rummaging around in the car. He held up a cube with several ripped wires hanging loosely off it. "Now let's get out of here. I don't want to think about who we might meet."

"Why, and who would that be, Tab dear?"

Beat saw Tab turn a shade of dull grey. They both turned – and saw Kell standing a foot away from them, twirling a dagger idly on her fingers. 

"Shit. Beat – I think it's time to run."

"Why? We've got all the time in the world." Kell stepped a little closer, and glanced at Beat. "Funny – I thought you had a bionic eye. Hang on, wasn't I the one that gave it to you? Oops. Sorry. But I think you looked kind of cute with it. So –"

Kell leapt forward, brandishing her knife. She swung it across her body, aiming at Beat's head. Beat desperately dived to one side. The knife caught him savagely in the eye.

"Beat! No way! This happened before!" Through the haze of pain, Beat felt Tab grab his arm and start to run him forward.

"Keep running, boys. I'll catch up with you later. Once I've got another dagger. This one's sort of old. I think I need something bigger. Like a chainsaw. Don't go too far, though – I need the entertainment. Life's been so dull since Cube died. Toodles!"

Beat could vaguely see out of one eye as they raced towards Park Street. His vision was becoming hazy. He felt steps catch at his feet, and looked down to see that they were climbing the steps to the playground. Tab stopped next to the bruised remains of the elephant slide.

"Tab…what are we doing here…" It hurt to talk. It hurt to think. Heck, it hurt to live.

"Watch." He pressed the elephant's eye. A door opened up on one of the legs. "In here."

Beat felt himself being led down a winding spiral staircase. When he managed to get his vision back he was looking at the interior of a high-tech laboratory.

Then it all went dark as Tab stuck a hypodermic needle into his arm.

Meanwhile in the past…

Benten-cho residential district.

Mew bent over to force a stone out of her skate, and heard Yo-Yo wolf-whistle. 

Quickly she straightened up, and yelled, "Will you knock it off? You never do it to any of the others – why me?"

"Well, you're just the most beautiful. And kind. And gentle. And sweet…you're the best!"

Mew could have sworn she saw a trace of sincerity run across Yo-Yo's normally sneering face – but then it was gone, and she snapped, "Yeah, right."

"And of course, the most bootylicious butt in Benten-cho –"

"Ohhh…just wait till I get my hands on you!" Mew snarled.

"Can't keep your hands to yourself, eh? You naughty girl! Hey, I know I'm cute, but –"

Mew gave what could best be called a feral growl, and launched herself over the roofs towards Yo-Yo, fists flailing.

Suddenly Yo-Yo yelled, "Mew, Onishima's in the sky!"

"Oh, yeah, like that's gonna save you now, bug-boy."

"No, Mew, he's telling the truth! Look!" Gamma came round the corner of the rooftop towards them.

Mew turned, and saw a giant image of Onishima's dome-encased head floating in the sky.

"RUDIES OF TOKYO-TO!" it roared. "YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED! WE WILL NOW TURN THE VERY PUBLIC AGAINST YOU!"

A slightly quieter, female voice rang out. "UH, ONISHIMA, HONEY…AS TERRIFYING THREATS GO, THAT ONE REALLY SUCKED."

"SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO MAKE A LIVE TRANSMISSION HERE! ANYWAY, UH…PREPARE TO BE ANNIHILATED! FIRE!"

Mew looked in horror as a purple beam shot out of the sky and hit the dead centre of Tokyo-to. When it struck, a massive dome-like corona of light burst out from the point of impact and spread out across the city.

Mew stared as it came closer and closer. It passed over her, Yo-Yo and Gamma, leaving them seemingly unchanged. 

Then she glanced down at the people walking in the streets. They had changed. Their eyes were glowing red with hatred as they stared up at the rudies.

"Uh…guys?" Yo-Yo said. "I think now would be a good time to run."

They dashed across the rooftops. Skylights were opened and people began to pour out after them.

"Quick! Onto the telephone wire!"

Gamma leapt, followed by Mew and Yo-Yo. Looking back, Mew saw someone hurl a stone.

"Yo-Yo, look out!"

Too late. The stone struck Yo-Yo's temple, and knocked him off the wire, down into the street of rabid people.

"Get going, guys," he called faintly up as the relentless tide of citizens bore down on him.

Gamma and Mew leapt from one wire to another, and then down into the subway. Quickly they began to hurry through it. Then they saw a crowd heading towards them from the other direction.

"Ah, shit," Gamma said. "Quick, grind onto the banisters!"

They each leapt onto a banister and ground past the multitude, leaping off at the other end and racing up the ramp out into the walkway district. 

It looked pretty empty. Mew ran under a walkway, following Gamma. "Make for the station," he gasped. "We can hide by the rails…"

Mew nodded, and kept running. Once she glanced back, and saw the mob hot on their heels. A sob caught in her throat, and she forced her aching legs to run faster.

Suddenly someone threw a brick from a walkway above them. It caught Gamma on the head, and he dropped like a stone.

Mew looked desperately back at the mob. They were coming closer. She could make it into the underground…

…but Gamma couldn't.

She dropped down next to him, and feverishly tried to revive him. It was no good. He was out for the count. 

The crowd reached her. Someone grabbed her wrist and punched her in the face. She felt blood spatter from her nose, speckle her lips. Hands grabbed her. An elbow came down onto the back of her neck. She felt herself falling, and crumpled over Gamma.

Alex skated down Center Street, wishing she didn't have to have people being mad with her all the time.

Shackler kicked a bus, wishing it was Blizzard's head. How dare that dumb freak steal his girl?

Blizzard gloomily tagged the elephant slide and froze a swing. No one ever wanted him near them. And who could blame them? It was just like that guy – his brother? – had said. He'd been created as a killing machine.

Suddenly he heard footsteps behind him, and turned. Lots of people, dashing up into the playground. What did they want?

Then he saw the feral hatred in their eyes. He felt fear setting into his stomach. He was going to have to fight – but he didn't want to – he couldn't trust these powers. But the rage on the faces of the mob told him if he didn't fight, he would die. 

He'd do neither. Placing his hands on the ground, he created a huge pillar of ice beneath him. As he rose into the air he debated adding turrets, but decided that that would be showy.

From his vantage point he had a better view of Shibuya-cho. He could see Alex being beaten savagely by the angry mob, and Shackler punching out with one hand, and supporting himself with the other, as if he had a broken leg.

Blizzard winced as Shackler was overrun by the swarm of people. Then he saw Alex fighting off five foes single-handedly. But she was beginning to tire.

Then a fist shot out and punched her in the eye, and she fell.

_"Alex!"_ Blizzard yelled.

She looked up and saw him. "Blizzard…" She was promptly caught across the back of the head by a hubcap, and crumpled to the ground.

Blizzard sank to his knees on the ice. Tears stained his face and froze as they hit the ice. He'd failed again. What would the others say when they heard? He was gonna kicked out of the GGs for sure. 

It was all his fault. Why didn't he just end it now?

Carefully he created a blade of ice. Holding it to his throat, he prepared to slice.

Beat opened his eyes. The world seemed different. His vision seemed to have a greenish tint. 

He sat up. Tab was sitting in a chair on the other side of the room, playing on a Gameboy. 

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine. What happened?"

"I had to repair your eye. I mean, that was pretty freaky, seeing as I already fixed it once. You really have a tendency for losing eyes, you know that?"

"Well, sorree. Can this eye do anything? You know, X-ray vision and stuff?"

"Yeah…it's got the usual. X-ray, telescopic, scanning, you know…Try this. Look at me and concentrate on everything you know about me."

Beat stared intensely at Tab. Suddenly the view turned even greener, and words started to scroll across his vision. 

_First name: Tab…Second name: Unknown…Occupation: Rudie…Gang: GGs…_

The list scrolled on. Beat discovered that Tab had four birthmarks across his chest, and had two bionic eyes incorporated into his visor.

"Cool."

"Now see if you can look through the wall of the lab. Better look up or you won't see much, though…"

Beat stared up at the walls, and visualised looking through them. Then his view turned red. He could see through the walls.

And what he was seeing was not good.

The elephant slide, above them, was surrounded by four robots and a single cop.

"Tab, get down!" 

Beat leapt across the room and slammed Tab onto the floor. Bullets burst through the slide and hailed down to where they'd just been standing. 

Tab pulled Beat to safety behind a desk. 

"Tab, we're trapped. How're we going to get out of this one? It's only a matter of time until they plug us full of lead."

"Not to worry." Tab pressed a secret panel on the wall. The wall slid back to reveal a tunnel. Tab and Beat began to crawl along it. Slowly it sloped upwards until a ladder appeared and they began to climb up it. 

Tab pushed back the trapdoor at the top of the ladder and climbed out onto the unfinished roadway, which was pockmarked with craters. The firing behind them ceased. 

Below them, one of the robots pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it at the side of the elephant. There was a momentous explosion as the secret door was blown to ashes. 

"Down here!" The officer stomped down into the lab. Quickly Tab covered the entrance to the trapdoor with a brick-filled garbage can. Not wasting any time, they ran.

"Ouch!" said Gum as she was thrown heavily into the cell.

She looked around. She couldn't believe it. All the GGs except for Cube, Combo, Future Tab and Beat were there, plus Shackler, Alex and Gamma.

"Guys! How did this happen?" 

"The general public attacked us," said Present Tab, nursing a black eye. "Man, this guy got me good with a brick…"

Gum looked over at the others. Everyone had various injuries. Garam and Piranha were sitting next to each other, tending to the cuts on each other's bodies. 

"Will you guys stop being cute?" Gum snapped. 

"Well, sorree." 

Mew was nursing Gamma, and Yo-Yo was trying to nurse Mew as surreptitiously as he could. 

Gum looked around the cell again. This was the old Poison Jammer base – the abandoned factory. Onishima and Kell had placed bars over the central pit in the middle, which was where the GGs were now. She couldn't see any sign of anyone other than her friends, though. 

Then she heard the sound of skates, and she saw a bladed silhouette enter the factory. 

"Hi, honeys…"

Gum heard Mew whimper.

"Well, well, well, it's Queen Bitch herself," Gum said loudly. 

"Well, well, well, it's Little Miss Tough Guy." Kell's voice echoed mockingly through the bars.

"So, Kell, you got all of us now? What are you going to do with us?"

"Oh, I don't know…mental torture…psychological torture…physical torture…death. Does that sound good to you, lovey?"

"Just peachy." Gum tried to repress the rage in her throat. 

"Uh – Kell," Tab said, "Psychological and mental torture are the same thing."

"Shut up."

"I'm not scared of you, Kell," Gum called. 

"Excellent. Because you're coming out first."

Kell unlocked the door. Before Gum could dodge, Kell had grabbed her wrist, dragged her out, and relocked the door behind them.

"So what're you gonna do? Your Majesty." Gum noticed that the factory doors had been pulled shut and locked, blocking out what little light there was.

Kell was studying the pit. When she turned round again, her face was a mask of fury. "Where's Cube – and Beat – and Combo?"

"Uh – I don't know. I thought they were here," Gum said sweetly. "Ah, what's wrong, you goofed?"

Kell dragged her away from the pit and through a door on the left wall, into a large room covered in Poison Jam tags. Then she stopped, and very slowly extended a claw and traced it down the front of Gum's minidress. It cut through Gum's dress and bra, and the cool air hit her skin.

"Oh, I don't think I goofed. Sure, I can't have fun with Cube…yet…but that doesn't mean I can't have fun with you." Calmly she retracted her claw into her finger. 

"You touch me and I'll break your arm."

"I don't think you can do that, Gum. Don't worry." She reached out and caressed one of Gum's breasts, her touch casual. "I mean, if Cube can handle it, I'm sure you can, tough girl."

Gum swung out her fist in a wide arc. It caught Kell squarely on the jaw. 

"Oh, dear, that really, really hurt. That your best? It's going to take a lot more than that to stop me." Kell gripped Gum's shoulders. "So I wouldn't bother fighting if I were you. You'll simply get more damage."

"Am I supposed to be scared?" Gum sneered. That was a blatant lie. She was scared. She was terrified. But there was no way she was going to let it show.

Kell pushed her roughly back against the wall, and then kissed her. Gum struggled to shove the cyborg away, but Kell was too heavy. 

"Don't bother." Kell held Gum's wrists together behind her back with one hand and stroked her breast with the other. 

Gum could feel the terror threatening to rise up and destroy her like a tidal wave. Desperately trying to fight it, she yelled, "Let go of me, you sick lesbian freak!"

Kell laughed. "That's a new one on me. Honestly, you're so much more tense than Cube. She just lay back and let me. But you…I mean, are you scared?"

"Like hell I am." Gum tried to ignore the sensation of Kell's hands on her body. "I'm just grossed out because you have all the seduction skills of a slug with halitosis."

Kell slapped her across the face. "Nice manners you've got."

"They're my speciality." 

Gum felt Kell's fingers reach between her legs. She clenched her fists and desperately tried to break the cyborg's grip on her wrists, but it was no good. 

"Why, you seem to be quite enjoying this," Kell murmured. "Doesn't take much to make your pussy pout, does it?"

"What's…that supposed…to mean?" Gum tried to keep her mind on the words she was speaking. If she didn't she knew she'd notice properly what the cyborg was doing to her, and then – she didn't know what would happen in her mind, but she knew it wouldn't be good.

"Well, you didn't think you'd got a nice reputation, did you?" 

Don't feel. Just listen. "I don't think…you're the right person to be…to be talking about reputations, cop-lover."

"You know they all think you're a whore." Kell's voice was soft, happiness catching in every breath. "You strut around in that minidress, 'accidentally' flashing your underpants every time you fall over…and give the GG leader a tongue sandwich on every street corner…and now, well, you act like you're hating this but your body sure ain't backing up the story. There's enough juice down here to clean a floor with."

"You're the only whore in this room…" Gum forced her eyes to notice the lines of sunlight falling onto the floor, the beer cans lying crumpled in the corners, the faded edges of the tags on the walls. Anything. I'm not gonna be able to keep this up, she thought. I'll crack. I'll have to feel it, and then my mind'll snap, and she'll love it. 

"What's wrong?" Kell's voice was mocking. "Am I going too fast for you? Don't worry, it won't be over any time soon." 

Gum felt tears sting her eyes and quickly slammed them shut. But that was worse. Now there was nothing to distract her from what was going on. Kell was close to her, all over her, her fingers generating sensations that ran through Gum's skin.

"Can't you handle it?" The voice was like acid, each sentence tracing out new scars. "That surprises me. Still, I should have guessed you weren't as tough as you acted…"

"And…you think you're tough?" Gum could feel Kell's body pressed against hers. Terror was building in her throat. Despite her best efforts, she could feel what was going on only too clearly, and nerves all over her body were tense and itchy. Slowly she was being pushed into hysteria. 

I've got to do something, she thought, and said, "You're not tough. You're not…I was on that roof when you fell off it, and I seem to remember you weren't acting so brave then. Something like, 'No! No! Get away from me!' " She adopted a high, mewling tone, and then winced as Kell grabbed her hair and pulled back her head.

"You shut up," she snarled. "You shut up right now."

"Is that the best you can do? You know I'm right." Gum couldn't stop the words. "You're a coward at heart. So you screwed me. So what? You're a sex-obsessed, bitchy, twisted cow and you don't scare me –"

She felt the jagged edge of Kell's buzzsaw pressed against her throat. 

For a moment everything went very quiet. Gum swallowed, very carefully, and prayed.

Then the buzzsaw was moved away. Gum let her breath out very slowly. She was beginning to feel dizzy. Dimly she heard Kell say, "No. It'd be fun, but I wouldn't want Beat to miss it."

Gum could feel herself trembling, and she knew she wasn't going to be able to stand up. Frantically she tried to regain her balance, but it was no good. She fell onto her knees, and heard Kell laugh. 

"What's wrong, sweetie? A little tense?"

"Leave me alone." Gum heard the plea in her voice, and hated it.

Kell laughed. "Kiss my skates, honey."

Gum swallowed, rage and fear coursing through her veins.

"Well, go on, do it." Gum felt the buzzsaw touch her shoulder. "I don't want you to die, but I can cut off a limb and then bandage you up. I don't think you'd find that very cool, would you?"

Gum wanted to try and fight, but the thought of the pain she'd suffer made her tremble. Very slowly, hating herself, she bent over and kissed the Love Shocker's skate.

"Good. Now the other one."

"Please don't make me," Gum whispered, and immediately wanted to kick herself. That wasn't going to do anything.

She felt a sharp scratch down her back, and looked up to see the buzzsaw speckled with her blood.

"That was a shallow cut," Kell said. "Now do it unless you want something worse."

Gum forced herself to kiss the other skate, and wished she was dead.

"Given up." There was satisfaction in Kell's voice. "You know what? Cube seems weak, but when you hurt her she has strength underneath. You…well, I guess it's the other way round." She pulled Gum to her feet, pushed her forward, twisting one arm up behind her back. "I knew you wouldn't be able to hold out."

They stumbled down the steps. Kell unlocked the door, and said, "Okay, let's see…I want you, Mew sweetie, you, ginger, and you, Noise Tank. Get moving or I'll cut her throat."

Gum felt the saw touch her skin again. She saw Mew, Yo-Yo, and Gamma get to their feet and walk towards the door. As they reached it, Kell dropped Gum, who fell to the floor, grabbed Mew, and said, "Don't try running, guys.

"Oh, and by the way…" She stopped and turned to face the prisoners. "If anyone does get lucky and gets out, I'll kill one rudie for every five minutes you're gone. There's a lot of you here I know nothing about and care even less, so I'd play nice and stay put."

Then she dragged Mew forward, and as Gamma and Yo-Yo followed, relocked the door behind them.

Gum knelt on the floor, shivering, and feeling the tears she'd held back spill out of her eyes and down her face.

"Gum, are you okay?"

Present Tab touched her arm tentatively. "What did she do?"

Gum shook her head. "I…I don't…I don't want to talk about it." She looked down at her clothes, and saw she was practically naked. "Does anyone have anything I could wear?"

"Here." Data took off her Noise Tank jacket and handed it to Gum. 

As Gum slid it over her ruined minidress she could feel everyone watching her. She glared round at them and snapped through her tears, "Stop it! Just stop staring at me, okay? I'm fine…"

She couldn't seem to stop crying. Her face felt like a waterfall.

"Don't be dumb." Tab sounded furious. "I can guess what was going on up there."

"Oh, that's great." Gum's voice shook with tears. "You think I'm pathetic as well. Well, fine. Go on, admit it. I know I'm weak. She knows I'm weak. You know –"

"Stop it." Tab took her hand. "Stop beating yourself up about it. She's a bitch and she wanted to hurt you. If you didn't do what she wanted she'd have mutilated you. It's not your fault."

Gum sniffed and wished she could stop sobbing. But in a way she was grateful for it. It helped her not to think. Not to remember.

"Did she – did she actually rape you?" Slate said from the other side of the cell.

Gum closed her eyes and nodded. She felt Tab's grip tighten. 

"What's with you?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse. 

"You're my best friend, how do you think I'm going to feel? I'll kill her!" 

"Cube handled it," Gum said bitterly. "I didn't."

"Cube didn't handle it any better than you're doing," Slate said. "You haven't tried slitting your wrists yet."

"Don't worry," Tab said. He hugged her. She could feel anger in his arms. "She's just one crazy psycho. You've got all of us."

"For how long? She said herself she's going to kill us all." 

"Then we'll go down together, okay? We're the GGs. With supporting gangs, of course. She's just jealous because she's got no one. Even Onishima hates her."

Gum tried to smile. 

"And you've got me," Tab said smugly. "What else can go wrong?"

"Don't say that," Gum said. "You don't know what's happening up there now."


	8. When The Worst Comes To The Worst...

When The Worst Comes To The Worst

Blizzard felt the blade slowly cut into his throat. Soon it would be all over. He'd never bother the GGs again.

And he'd never see Alex again…

He put her out of his mind. This was for the best.

Then – 

"Hi, there, brother. Watcha doing?"

Blizzard stopped. Blaze was sitting on a rooftop a few feet away from him.

_"None of your business."_

"Oh, come on, it's everything to do with me. I'm your brother. If you're gonna kill yourself, I want to watch."

_"Get lost."_

"Why're you killing yourself, anyway? I mean, what's the big deal? You broke up with your girl. No one cares. I don't. She don't. The GGs don't. Mum and Dad don't. No one cares about you. You're a freak, ice boy."

_"And you're not?"_

"Nope. I am perfect in every respect."

Blizzard snorted. _"Even though I've been misled my whole life, I can see you're nowhere near perfect."_

"You're just jealous," Blaze said, smirking. "Of my perfection."

_"If perfection involves being a stuck-up psycho, then I'm definitely not jealous."_

"Take that back, brother." The humour left Blaze's voice. "Or I'll melt you like a Popsicle."

_"Many have tried. And failed."_

"Well, I think it's time we break that cycle. Goodbye."

Blaze carelessly threw a firebomb at the pillar. It exploded, and Blizzard began to fall.

Beat and Tab raced through the back streets of Shibuya, past smashed shops and shattered skyscrapers, heading for the garage. Every sound seemed to indicate chase, but the streets were empty.

"So you're telling me that the only way we can get back is if the time machine you used to come here is still intact."

"Yup."

"And if it isn't we're stuck here."

"Well, no. I'll have to rebuild it," Tab said. "Don't worry. At least we've got the heart now."

They reached the remains of the garage. Tab stepped inside and opened up the trapdoor that led down to the tunnels.

They were dark and shadowy, lit occasionally by the surviving lights. In places they'd caved in completely. 

"This way." Tab turned the corner, then stopped.

"What is it?"

"Uh – Beat – I don't think you should see this."

"What is it?"

Tab turned away. 

Beat walked forward. There was a crumpled figure lying on the floor. He swallowed. The girl was badly burnt, but he could recognise her.

"Gum?" he whispered.

He thought she was dead. Then she moaned, and as he dropped down next to her, she opened her eyes.

"Beat…I thought…I thought he killed you…"

"No." He gripped her uninjured hand. "I'm here, it's okay."

"I'm not going to survive…" Gum said, her voice very quiet. "I've been here for ages…" 

"You are gonna survive, you are, you have to," Beat said, wishing his words would help her. "You'll be okay, you know you will."

"No…it's all right, Beat. I just wanted to see you…I couldn't bear it when I thought you were dead…Listen, I've been horrible to you sometimes and I'm sorry, I just want to say…I love you…I really do…"

Beat stared down at her, at the one surviving eye, at the scarred, raw skin. He could feel tears stinging his one good eye. 

"I love you too," he replied, hearing his voice go husky. "I always have."

Gum's mouth formed a painful, restricted smile. Her hand tightened on his. "Just hold onto me until…until I go."

"Please don't."

Gum sighed. Her chest rose as she inhaled, fell as she exhaled – and then didn't rise again. 

Beat stared down at her. Her eye was blank. 

"Gum?" he whispered.

"Come on," Tab said from behind him.

"She's dead…" Beat looked at the hand he was still holding.

"I know she is. There's nothing we can do now, okay? Let's just get out of here."

"She was your friend!" Beat shouted. "You knew her since kindergarten, for pete's sake! What's wrong with you?"

Tab stormed over and grabbed the front of Beat's shirt. "Listen," he said through gritted teeth, "I saw all of you die. Every single GG. I saw Cube and Slate get ripped apart. I saw Shackler blow himself up trying to kill Kell. I found Piranha hanging from the ceiling of her room after Garam snuffed it. You think I don't care? You think I don't lie there every night back in your present thinking I should've died myself, or saved them somehow? You think I don't feel like shit because I lived and they died? Don't you try tell me I've got something wrong with me because I'm sick of getting hurt."

He let go of Beat and walked into the room where the time machine had been.

"Tab?" Beat followed him. "Tab, I'm sorry."

Silence. Then Tab said, "Oh, god…Beat, you do not want to come in."

"Why? What's in there?" Beat's heart sank. 

"Just don't come in."

"I've got to, seeing as how the time machine's in there." He walked through the door – and stopped.

"Shit," he muttered.

Beat saw himself lying there, riddled with bullet holes. Potts lay next to him. Both of them were dead.

For a moment the world rocked and he thought he'd keel over. Then he blinked and turned away. That wasn't him. 

"Let's just forget we saw this, okay?" he said. 

"You should be privileged," Tab said. He'd gone pale. "You're probably the one person who'll get to see themselves dead." He was studying a rather battered-looking time machine that lay in the corner. 

"That got you into our time? It's pathetic!"

"Sorry. It's been through a lot. Onishima probably shot it after I left."

"Will it still work?"

"Should do. If I can fix it. Of course, there is the very, very low risk that we'll end up lost in the circuits of time forever with no way to get back."

"Oh. Great. How low?" Beat tried not to look at the two bodies on the floor. It was bad enough seeing someone exactly identical to him, but seeing them with their chest ripped open took the biscuit. 

"Not that high. Probably not enough to get us killed."

"Then let's go."

And with that he and Tab began to try and fix up the time machine.

"Well, well, well, lookee what we got here." 

Kell paced around like an army drill sergeant inspecting her troops. Mew shrank back against the wall. She glanced nervously at Gamma, who had been put several feet away from her. Yo-Yo was the same distance away from her the other side.

"Now, Mew…" Kell stepped closer to her. Mew remembered how shattered Gum had looked when she'd returned, and pressed her lips together to stop herself crying. 

"I know we haven't seen eye to eye lately." Bionic fingers stroked Mew's hair. "But I really want to help you, you know. I'm thinking of giving you a makeover. Remember, I would have given you one before if lover boy here hadn't interfered…" For a moment her voice was snarling.

"You know, you could look like a prom queen. One of those prom queens who are victims in slasher movies."

Mew couldn't speak. She knew if she did she'd start screaming.

"What's the matter, honey? Aren't you going to say thank you?"

"Leave her alone!" both guys yelled. 

"What, you're gonna stop me? Let's start with a little scar to remember me by…one to go with the other." 

Gamma and Yo-Yo both rushed at Kell and each grabbed an arm, but she shook them off like they were nothing. Then she turned back to Mew.

Kell raised a finger. The claw slid out of it, the sharp edge catching the light. Mew gritted her teeth as it slid into her face. She felt blood start to run down her skin.

"You bitch! You miserable evil bitch!" Yo-Yo yelled. 

"Ohhh, have I struck a nerve?" Kell said. She turned on Yo-Yo, who tried to back away without making it look obvious.

"What's the matter, Yo-Yo? Scared that Mew mightn't have realised what you think? If she hasn't she's even ditzier than I thought."

Yo-Yo turned pale. Mew pressed a hand to the stinging cut, and wondered what Kell meant. Surely Yo-Yo didn't…really love her?

"Go on, Yo-Yo, tell her. She obviously hasn't figured it out."

Yo-Yo swallowed. "I – I don't…"

"You don't what? Don't love her? Well, that's funny. I'm sure if I left my mark on her again we'd get a different answer."

She moved towards Mew purposefully.

"Wait –" Yo-Yo's voice resonated in the silent room. "Okay. All right, I'll do it. Mew – I…I love you. I always have."

Mew felt her mouth drop open. "Yo-Yo – I – I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Yo-Yo stood there, gazing at the ground, not looking at her. 

"What, don't you reciprocate?" Kell laughed. "That means, don't you return his love, as I know you have trouble with lots of syllables."

"Yo-Yo, I love Gamma…" Mew realised she was crying. "I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, but I can't. I'm so sorry…"

Yo-Yo shrugged, but he still wouldn't look at her.

"Aww, ain't dat cute. Almost Romeo and Juliet. Only Juliet can't stand the sight of Romeo and has gone off with Paris instead." 

"That's not true!" shouted Mew. "It's not that I can't stand the sight of him, I just don't love him!"

"That's what they all say. I'm sure if we roughed you up, though, Gamma would be too handsome for you, and Yo-Yo would be your only option."

"Don't you dare touch her!" Gamma yelled.

"Look, Gamma. You stopped me doing this to that wailing brat once. You don't have your fancy weapons this time. And you won't even have a good pair of legs soon."

"No – don't – leave him alone –" Mew rushed forward to protect Gamma, but Kell caught her wrist and flung her back. 

"Time to say goodbye to Mr Left Leg…" Kell moved quickly. There was a crack. Gamma crumpled onto the floor. 

"Stop it!" Mew shouted.

"Aah, does Mew care for her knight in Noise Tank armour? Well, soon he won't care for you, pretty girl." 

Kell grabbed Mew by the hair. Mew screamed. She saw the claws fly down towards her face. She heard Yo-Yo cry out. Then there was nothing but pain.

Blizzard and Blaze raced around Shibuya-cho, blasting at each other with fire and ice. 

"What's the matter, brother?" Blaze laughed as he dodged a large icy spike. "Scared to hurt me? You're a chicken! A frozen chicken! You belong in a supermarket! Whereas I am a tiger! A tiger that shoots fireballs!"

Blizzard was beginning to get the feeling that his brother wasn't quite all there. He quickly threw an icicle at a fireball heading towards him, and both were extinguished.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Blaze yelled.

Blizzard fought, but his mind wasn't totally on the battle. He was worried about Alex. What had happened to her? Was she okay? 

Suddenly he noticed they'd fought their way into Kogane-cho, above the factory. Blizzard turned and jumped onto the telephone wires, grinding along them. Blaze set fire to the telephone wires.

__

"Shit!" Blizzard fell into the factory yard, his feet cutting trails through the dusty ground. Blaze began to run round the long way to climb into the yard.

Suddenly Blizzard heard a girl scream from inside the factory. 

It seemed to come from behind one of the grimy windows. Quickly he crept over, and rubbed the dirt off the glass.

When he looked in, he beheld a horrific sight. 

His mother – Kell – was standing over Mew. Blood speckled her claws. Mew lay in a small heap, bloodstained palms to her face. Gamma was in the corner, one leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Yo-Yo was flung back against the wall, clutching his bleeding nose.

Before he could watch any longer, he felt sudden heat as a fireball exploded near his foot.

Blaze was standing there, pointing two fingers at Blizzard's head.

_"Blaze, wait! Mum…"_

"Shut up!"

BANG.

Another fireball exploded on the wall of the factory. Luckily it didn't catch light. 

Blizzard leapt forward and tackled his brother, slamming him to the ground. He raised a fist to punch.

Wait.

If Mew, Gamma and Yo-Yo were there, wouldn't the others be too? Alex…

Blizzard leapt up and began skating out of the yard. He had to see if there were any other GGs around. Warn them.

"Hey, you're not getting out of this that easily!" Blaze yelled. He fired, and a fireball exploded at Blizzard's heels.

_"Oh, go away!" _Blizzard turned, and shot an ice beam at his brother's feet.

"Hey, what the – you can't do that! Get back here, you scummy wimp!"

Blaze writhed in fury as his feet froze to the ground. Blizzard smirked. _"Catch you later, bro."_

Then he dashed out of the yard, and back to Shibuya-cho.

Tab looked up as he heard dragging footsteps above them. The door was unlocked, and three rudies were flung back into the cell. Tab saw blood spatter onto the floor.

Piranha made her way over to the three groaning figures. "Tab?" She sounded horrified.

"Yeah?" 

Piranha lowered her voice. "Have you got that mobile lab you said you'd got?"

"Yep. Why?"

"You're gonna need it. You're really gonna need it."

Cube gazed out of the window, leaning against Combo's coffin. 

Her life seemed to have dwindled to this endless waiting. If only something would happen. 

Tab had said they'd be back in seconds, and they hadn't been. Where were they? Why weren't they here?

She heard someone yelling, far away, "Wooooooooooooah!"

There was a thump. 

"All right, we're back! We're back, we're back, we're back!"

"What time is it?"

"Half an hour since we left."

"Hmm. Maybe we should have come back a few days ago."

"Well, then we'd have no use for this heart, would we?"

Cube's heart soared. They had the heart!

"Guys, guys!" She got to her feet and ran down to the time machine. Beat and Tab stood in front of it. She leapt forward and wrapped her arms round them. "You got it! You got the heart!"

"Uh…yeah….Cube…we got it…now stop squeezing our necks!"

Cube let them go. "Sorry. Woah – Beat, nice eye! What happened?"

"Kell happened."

"Oh." For a moment a shadow passed over her thoughts. "Come on, put the heart in! Come on!"

"Cool it." Tab followed her back up to the operating theatre. "There's still a lot that could go wrong."

"Combo! Combo, can you hear me?"

"Yo, kid…" Combo opened his eyes to see Cube looking down at him. He felt slightly different. Heavier.

"Guys, I had this totally whacked-out dream…Neo-Onishima blew me up cos I jumped in front of a rocket he fired at Cube…and then the Tabs fixed me up, I guess…I mean, my whole arm must have been blown up."

He held up an arm. Then he looked at it closely.

"Arrrrrrgh! What the hell happened to my arm?"

"You just said what happened to it," Cube said.

"It's like, a giant claw. Blades and everything. This is the sort of thing Kell plays with!"

Combo realised his face felt sort of numb. He tapped it, and heard with dread a metallic clinking sound. 

"This feels totally weird…"

"Here." Future Tab held up a large mirror.

"Oh," Combo said at last, staring at the huge, metallic cyborg facing him. "This sucks."

"No, it doesn't," Cube said. "You're alive." She hugged him. "That does not suck. You're very lucky, you know that…most people who get blown up by a rocket do not get a second chance."

"Yeah, I suppose. It does feel weird though…" He raised the arm, and blades sprang out of it. Cube leapt back. "Combo, don't point that thing at me."

"Sorry."

"Combo…" Cube sighed. "I never got to say thanks. For saving my life."

He hugged her. "Oh, come on. It's all in a day's work for us big, strong silent types."

Suddenly Blizzard burst through the door.

_"Guysguysit'stotally terribleKell'scaughtthemandshe'storturingthemandMew'sbleedingtodeathandGamma'sgotabrokenlegandYo-Yo'sbeenpunchedandthey'reallgonnadieandit'shorrible–andwhatthehellhappenedtoyourarm – andwhatarewegoingtoDO?"_

Blizzard's head landed on the table as he ran out of breath.

"Would you mind running that by us again, only at about a quarter of the speed?" Beat said.

_"Okay. Basically, my mum seems to have captured everyone else."_

"Hmm. We'd better check this." Beat took out his mobile and dialled Garam's number.

"Hello, this is Garam, totally being captured by Kell, man. How may I help you?"

"Garam, are you kidding?"

"Nope. We're all trapped in the factory, man, and she's like totally being a bitch – hah, what else is new? She's sliced Mew up pretty bad. Tab's trying to fix her up. Gamma got a broken leg. And Yo-Yo's got a broken jaw, man, still, at least he's not talking any more."

Beat swallowed. "Has she done anything to Gum?"

Garam sighed. "Uhhh…you're totally not gonna like this, man…she's like, man, you know…"

"No, I don't know. Get to the point."

"Like, man, she's joined the flock along with Cube, if you know what I mean. Man."

Beat felt his mouth drop open. "She's _what?"_

The others were looking at him now. 

"Would you like me to repeat it?"

"No. Okay, where is Kell at the moment?"

"She's got Slate in the main Poison Jam HQ, you know, the room to the right of the main factory area. She's taking us in there one at a time. It's all a bit dismal, man."

"Right. Don't worry, we'll get you out of there."

"That'd be cool. We'll see you in – uh – three – uh – two – whenever you can get here, because I can't take it any more!"

"Okay, don't panic."

"Right. I'm signing off now in case the evil one comes back unexpectedly, okay?"

Click, and he was gone.

"Well, what did he say?"

"I am totally gonna kill her," Beat said. He could hear his own voice, sounding oddly calm. "Right. She's got them and she's holding them in the Kogane factory area –"

_"I could've told you that," _Blizzard muttered.

"Anyway, we got to get in there and rescue them!"

"Fair enough," Cube said. "Except for the fact that Kell will kill us all and Neo-Onishima's still racketing around somewhere."

_"And don't forget Blaze," _Blizzard said.

"They're risks we'll have to take." The fury was powering Beat now. "Cube, Combo, you go get the others out. Blizzard, you deal with Blaze. Tab, we're gonna handle Neo-Onishima."

"We are?"

"Yup. We're gonna take him downtown."

"Well. How've you been, Slate?" Kell rested a hand on his shoulder. "I mean, apart from being frozen for the night, your girlfriend's mental health being destroyed before your eyes, you and all your friends being captured, people being carved up left right and centre…how's life been treating you?"

"Fine," Slate answered carefully. He didn't want to leave himself open to attack. 

"Are you certain? I mean, with a nose like that life can't be very easy. Do you wear a sign saying Concord coming through?"

"That's a very old joke." 

"Anyway, there's something I've been meaning to ask you. Have you and Cube had sex?"

"And why would I tell you?"

"Well, I just thought you could use some pointers. I've got a hell of a lot more experience with her than you have. I can tell you exactly how to get her going. All you do is –"

Slate punched her.

"Aah, is wittle Swate jealous of me?" Kell smirked. "I guess that makes sense. Cube's okay to go with…though she does tend to act like she hates it. It's such a pity I don't have her here."

"You leave her alone."

"Oh, please. Hmm…" She looked him up and down, then ran a metallic finger down his chest. "I wonder what she'd say if I did you too?"

"Sorry, I don't screw Swiss Army Knives," Slate said. 

Kell's face changed abruptly to fury. The blades shot out of her hands, and she slapped Slate round the face. 

He felt them rip into his nose and jaw, and the force of the slap threw him across the room. Pressing his palms to the gashes across his face, he heard Kell spit out, "Listen, buddy, you may think you're Cube's knight in shining armour, but by the time I've finished with you you're gonna wish you'd never met her."

"I'm…not…scared of you…" Slate said, blood beginning to speckle his gloves.

"Funny. You should be." 

Kell slammed her skate into Slate's stomach, sending him sprawling across the floor.

"GG-fucking cow…" It wasn't the best insult, but it was the first one he could come up with.

Kell picked him up by his jacket and punched him. 

"What…can't face the fact you're a freak?" Slate said.

"You're one to talk, Nose man." 

"Oh, that's so original. What's the problem, techno-girl, can't your search engine come up with anything better than that?"

Kell punched him again, her eye burning with rage. "Why'd you keep your mouth covered up?" she spat. "Got halitosis? Or did your teeth drop out? I'd expect anything of someone who looked like you."

"Same old, same old." Her insults hurt, but he knew he could hurt her worse. "The reason I keep my mouth covered is so that you won't try and shove your tongue down my throat. From the way you've been going on with the girls, I'd have thought you could at least use your feminine wiles. You know, instead of fucking a cop to get a cheap thrill? Oh – wait, you haven't got any feminine wiles, cos you're a cyborg."

Kell's eye turned a dull red. "Oh, you're gonna be sorry for saying that."

Her fist struck his jaw, and he heard a sickening crunch as it broke. He felt a tooth in his mouth along with blood, and he surreptitiously spat it out. The neck of his orange jacket was beginning to turn crimson as blood flowed over his chin.

"See ya, Slate. We'll finish this conversation later."

She dragged him out and flung him back into the pit.

"Piranha, it's your turn, sweetie."

The view was swimming in front of Slate's eyes. He vaguely registered Tab coming over towards him.

"Lights out, boy."

Slate felt a sharp needle in his arm, and then he dropped backwards into darkness.

"Garam? Garam, can you hear us?" Cube shook the mobile phone. 

"Yo, this is Garam totally worried about Piranha, man…dude…woman. Bad, man. Totally been taken by Kell. I'm pretty scared. After what she did to Slate…"

He stopped.

"What did she do to Slate?" Cube heard her voice turn low with rage.

"Ah. I think I just goofed. Okay, if I was to tell you that – uh – Slate had his face cut to ribbons, a broken jaw, a tooth missing, and probably a broken nose, what would you say?"

"I'm gonna kill her."

"Good, because that's exactly what's happened."

"Okay. We're coming to bust you out of there."

"Okay."

Cube slammed down the phone. The fear had been eaten by her fury. "Right. I'm going out there and I'm going to rip that bitch's head off."

"Not on your own, you're not! This is where Tabs, Inc, comes in to help!"

"Huh?"

"What would you say if I was to give you a suit to make you stronger, faster, better, etc etc?" Future Tab said.

"I would say I'm interested. What are you on about?"

"Well, you know Yo-Yo's armour, which he took off before he went out tagging for ease of movement and is probably now really wishing he's got…"

"Yes."

"I've been experimenting on it. It's now more or less like…um…a symbiote."

(A/N: Yes, yes from Spiderman, we know, we know. Please don't sue. PDS. Should that become a well-known acronym?)

"Go on."

"And if you were to put it on, it would at least give you a chance of kicking Kell's ass, rather than being turned into a messy stain on the wall."

"How long will it take for you to get it together?"

"Give me forty-five minutes and we're up and running."

"Now, what do we have here?" 

Piranha glared at Kell with deep hatred. The burning desire to leap at her and smash her grinning face into the wall was growing every second.

"The Prodigal Love Shocker returns to the fold. Pity I missed you."

Coolly, Kell began filing her claws, with a metal file. "What's it like screwing the fish man?" she asked.

"None of your business." 

"I'm just wondering. Is he all that's keeping you in the GGs? I would have thought with the Love Shockers' rep, you'd have been kicked out ages ago. I mean, you did run over Gum's sister. As we all found out in such a touching moment. Do you have any sandpaper, by the way?"

"What do you mean, Love Shockers' rep?" Piranha tried to ignore the mention of Gum's sister, whom she'd killed in a hit-and-run. "You're the one who got us that rep. Everyone knows that. Everyone hates you. So, I stay in the GGs. Besides, what's it to you, Mrs Robocop?"

"Aah, you jealous of the fact that I've got a man and you haven't? Cos we can't exactly call Garam a man. Most think of him as either a bug or a fish. Myself, I go for the bug view, because I can stamp on him easy. And I will."

"Leave him alone!" Piranha shouted. She knew she was acting just the way Kell wanted, but the thought of that bitch hurting Garam made her feel sick. 

"Hey, did I strike a nerve? Really, I must watch where I'm hitting. I don't want to make any unnecessary moves. I want to hit a nerve every time."

She slid a metallic arm round Piranha's shoulders. "So, what's it like being the outcast GG? The odd one out. The one everyone hates. Because they do hate you, you know. It's totally obvious. And understandable. You're not only a Love Shocker, but a murderer. I think Gum was _really upset." _

"Shut up," Piranha snapped. She tried to move away, but Kell held her back. 

"Don't do that, honey. Do you like your shoulder bones in these positions? One piece? Or would you prefer them in lots of little ones… like this?"

Kell's fingers gave one squeeze. There was a snap, and Piranha bit back a scream.

"Oops. My finger slipped. Now, you gonna try and move away?" She pushed Piranha down onto one of the oil drums, and sat on one next to her. 

Piranha could feel her nerves fraying. She remembered what had happened to Gum, and tried not to shudder.

She felt Kell's robotic hand reach down her shirt and stroke her breast. "Get off me," she said, feeling herself tremble.

"Oh, don't worry, I won't go as far as I did with Gum or Cube. It wouldn't be half as satisfying. But I may as well get some fun out of you." Piranha felt the bottom of her stomach drop out. 

"Get away from me," she said. "Get away."

"Make me." Kell kissed her. 

"Okay!" Piranha twisted away from Kell and then punched her on the nose.

It was part of Kell's face not protected by metal plates, and it was vulnerable. Kell snarled as blood spattered her lips. She grabbed Piranha's shirt, and whispered, "Bad girl."

Then she punched her. Lights exploded in Piranha's vision as she flew across the room and hit the wall. She tried to sit up, but she felt too dizzy. With dread crawling over her, she heard Kell skate towards her. 

"Oh, honestly." Kell kicked at the ground. "I wanted a bit of fun. But you're gonna be as easy to kill as the rest of the gang were."

Piranha leapt to her feet and slapped Kell, punched her, kicked her, feeling tears spill from her eyes, the anger blinding her to the pain her fists were receiving. She could dimly hear Kell laughing, stumbled as a metallic fist glanced off her jaw, then hands caught her wrists and pulled them behind her back.

"Piranha, you've _got _to watch that temper. You'll hurt yourself."

Piranha struggled, but Kell was gripping her arms tightly, and she was too powerful. 

"Let go!" she screamed. "Let go!" She was still crying.

"Nuh-uh. You're not safe, honey." 

Kell moved quickly. Piranha doubled over as Kell punched her in the stomach. She hung in the cyborg's grip, trying not to throw up.

"Now, let's take you back. I want to have a little chat with your boyfriend."

"No…" Piranha forced out the words. "No, please, not Garam, please, don't…"

Kell didn't answer this time, just laughed. Piranha closed her eyes as she was dragged out of the room, old misery mingling with new.

Garam watched the cell door intently, praying that Piranha would come back in one piece.

Tab was sitting at the back of the cell, an open briefcase next to him which was filled with various odd-looking surgical contraptions. He was leaning over Slate's face. Garam couldn't see what he was exactly doing, but he hoped it would work. He could see Slate's jacket, and it was covered in blood.

Mew was sitting nearby, touching her face and looking amazed, while Gamma, his leg splinted, held her hand. Yo-Yo was as far away from them both as he could get, and he wasn't looking at anyone.

Nor was Gum. She sat huddled in Data's jacket, staring at the bars across the passage to the sewers. She was crying, silently. Garam wished he could comfort her, but he couldn't think what to say. He'd never seen Gum this crushed before.

Suddenly he heard the rattling of the cell door opening again, and turned back to face it. Quickly, Tab moved to hide his equipment, Mew buried her face in Gamma's shoulder, and Gamma shifted position to conceal the splint on his leg. 

Piranha stood there, Kell gripping her arms. She was in tears. Garam dashed over to her.

"Are you all right?" he said. "Did she –"

"No, I didn't." Kell let go of Piranha, and the GG literally fell into Garam's arms. "I hardly touched her."

Garam held his girlfriend, feeling her cry into his shoulder. "It's okay," he said. "Don't worry, it's okay…"

Kell laughed. "I wouldn't say that. Come on, fish boy, it's your turn."

Garam felt as though an icy hand had reached down his throat and scooped out his stomach. He felt Piranha tense next to him. 

"Oh, well, nice to see the service round here's good," he said, trying not to sound scared. Gently, he let go of Piranha. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll be back."

"Don't be too sure," Kell said, and grabbed his arm, dragging him out of the cell. He looked back, and saw Piranha fall to her knees, her sobs echoing around the factory.

"It's ready, Cube." 

Cube walked into the lab, where Future Tab stood next to what looked like a rippling piece of silver cloth.

"Um – Tab – this looks like a rippling piece of silver cloth."

"I know that. That's the idea. Go on, touch it."

Cube did so, gingerly. It felt soft, yet incredibly solid.

Suddenly it began to flow over her, like a liquid. It covered her arms, her legs, her chest. Her vision became tinted as the liquid formed a visor over her eyes.

Then it stopped flowing, and she realised she was wearing armour.

"Woah. I can totally, like, see through things. Tab, what can this stuff do?"

"Your skates are rocket-powered…you have the strength of Combo's bionic arm…you have enough protection to defend you against Kell's weaponry…yep, you're one hard momma!"

"All right. Combo, let's go."

Cube leapt towards the wall and punched through it. "Yeah, I'm gonna get used to this."

Garam was flung back into the cell like a lifeless rag doll.

"Garam!" Piranha rushed over to him. In the half-light she couldn't make out exactly how badly injured he was, but she could see one of the lenses of his goggles had been smashed, and blood was pooling round his lips.

"And now for the piéce de resistance," Kell said. "Alex, walk this way."

There was a horrorstruck silence. Alex very slowly got up and began to walk. Shackler started to say something, then shut up. 

"Kell, leave her alone," Piranha snapped.

"What, has Garam got competition?"

"Leave it out, Piranha." Alex spoke calmly, but they could all see that her fists were clenched so hard they had gone bone-white. "She'll get to me sooner or later. May as well get it over with now, huh?"

"Quite right," Kell said. She grabbed Alex's arm, and the Love Shocker flinched. "Say goodbye."

Then the door slammed behind them both.

Garam groaned. 

"Are you all right?" Piranha said. She was crying again, she angrily realised. "Duh, of course you're not…I mean, are you in any danger of death?"

"No…no…but that's the last time I call Kell a low-down two-cent whore with the brains of a piece of dead fish crap. I don't recommend it…" He tried to sit up, but he couldn't muster the strength.

"Just get your rest, honey." Piranha held his hand. "We got the Tabster on the job."

"Yeah, but I don't know what I'm gonna do about Alex," Tab muttered. "Kell ain't gonna need to do no physical stuff. Alex is screwed up mentally as it is. And I'm no therapist."

Alex's head was aching with the effort of keeping calm. 

When she'd last been at Kell's mercy, she'd told herself nothing bad was going to happen, nothing really bad, and that she wasn't really scared, and that she could handle it. She was trying that now, but she could feel that it wasn't working. The fear was trying to drown her. She wouldn't be able to keep above water for long.

They entered the Poison Jam HQ room. Kell slammed the door behind them both, then turned to face Alex. "Long time no see, sweetie."

"Mmm. Can't say I'm sorry." Alex batted the sentence back, trying to act like none of this fazed her at all.

"No…I know we had our differences." 

A memory kicked its way into Alex's head. A lit match. A red-hot knife. Screaming in an empty building. And a voice murmuring, _"I know you hate it, but you've just got to accept everyone has their differences."_

"True," she said. Her voice quivered, once. She was beginning to feel slightly dizzy.

"You know what will happen to the others, don't you."

"You'll kill them," Alex said, surprised to hear anger in her voice.

"I will. And I'll love it. But you…well, we're pals, aren't we? I couldn't just snuff you out like a candle."

"Oh, really?"

"No…we could go back to the way we were before."

Alex felt a scream rise in her throat, and quickly swallowed it. I can't do this, she thought. I can't. I can't. 

"I mean, sure, you've had fun with the GGs, but…well, fun's over now, isn't it?"

Alex closed her eyes, and remembered being dragged up stairs, a knife brushing her throat, falling onto bare boards, and someone saying, _"Fun's over, sweetie. I'm leader now."_

"Then why don't you just kill me?" she'd snapped.

_"Because then I wouldn't be able to do this."_

And then the pain.

She couldn't speak. She desperately tried to put up the walls, tried to lock down her feelings, but there were no walls. They'd crumbled. She was drowning. 

She stumbled, and Kell caught her arm and twisted it. "Don't worry, you won't get to go out in the cold. I'll look after you."

Alex began to shiver, and couldn't stop. "No," she said, her voice hurting as she tried to keep it unruffled. "No, I don't want you to look after me. I don't want to be anywhere near you. I'd rather die with the others."

"Oh, don't worry, you will die," Kell said. "Just not right now."

"I presume that – that doesn't mean you're gonna let me walk out of here."

"You got that right. No, I'm gonna keep you alive a nice long time. Think of it. I could do it for years. That'd be payback. And you know why."

"I said I was sorry. You know I never meant it to happen."

"Like hell you did." For the first time real rage entered Kell's voice for a moment.

Alex reached back and felt the wall behind her. Leaning against it, she tried not to let herself imagine. Years. Years of agony. 

"Yes." Kell laughed. "You remember, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I can see it in your eyes. You're remembering everything."

"I'm not. I'm not."

Kell grabbed Alex's arm, stroked the rough scars on it. "You know how all these got here, don't you?"

Alex desperately tried to do something, anything, to stop the flashback that was creeping up on her. But it was no good. As she stared down at her arm, the sunlight falling on it changed to a dim streetlight, and the metallic hand holding her wrist changed back to flesh, and the flame of a match flickered in the darkness.

She blinked, frantically trying to bring herself back to the present, but nothing happened. She could smell the smoke of the match, feel the dust in the air every time she breathed in, hear outside the dim noises of the Shibuyan night. 

I'm trapped, she thought. It was all a dream. I never got out. 

Where was the factory? The sunlight? She rubbed her free hand across her eyes. Nothing changed. And now the match was coming down towards her skin, and she couldn't move, and – 

And all the fear and horror she'd locked away burst out from behind her eyes, and she screamed and screamed and screamed.


	9. Showdown

Showdown

Tab worked in a slow methodical fashion. He was halfway through some stitches up the side of Garam's cheek.

Pausing, he glanced over at Slate. He was pretty pleased with his work. The GG now looked a lot more like Coin than Slate. 

Coin had fallen from a high place in Grind City, thanks to the Golden Rhinos. The damage to his face had been so great that he'd sought the help of a failed plastic surgeon, and ended up as Slate. Kell's attack on his face had undone most of this work, and Tab saw no reason to stand in the way of fate.

Turning back to Garam, he carefully stitched the cut. 

Suddenly he heard the door to Kell's 'interview room' open. He began to sweat, and stitched quicker. If he couldn't hide this, their advantage would be destroyed and everything would go horribly wrong…

"Tab…" hissed Piranha from the corner of her mouth. "She's coming…"

"I know…"

He heard the rattle of the cell door open. Then a furious roar: "What are you doing?"

He remembered he'd left the briefcase out. Quickly, he finished Garam's stitch, and then slammed the briefcase shut and sat on it.

"What? What?"

"Tab, you're still holding the thread coming from Garam's head and it's got a needle on it," Piranha said. 

"Oh." He reached into the briefcase, got out a pair of scissors, and cut the thread. "There."

Kell was striding over, rudies dodging out of her way. She did not look pleased. She grabbed Tab by the front of his boiler suit and raised him above her head. He yelped as his head struck the bars above them. 

"You're gonna be sorry." Kell raised a fist, and the blades shot out. Tab gulped. It looked like his face was gonna be turned into a stain on the wall.

"Hold it right there, Kell."

Kell dropped Tab and spun round. 

"You! Just when I wanted you, you turn up!"

Cube stepped forward.

_Clank._

"Cube does not go clank," Tab observed. 

Kell dropped him as Cube stepped into the light. The cyborg's mouth dropped open in shock. 

Cube had gone cybernetic.

"Cube, baby, you're looking – metallic." For the first time Kell looked slightly ill at ease.

"Cube!" Slate said. "You're okay!"

Kell turned to look at him – and her mouth dropped open. "Coin?"

"Huh?" Slate's eyes narrowed. "You knew me?"

"Oh, come on," Cube snapped from behind her. "Or are you scared?"

"I'm not scared of you," Kell snarled, and rushed towards her enemy. Sparks flew as Kell's buzzsaw connected with Cube's chest.

"Cube!" Slate yelled.

"Cool." What could be called an evil grin spread over Cube's face. "Kell – payback time."

WHAM.

Kell flew backwards and crashed through the bars of the door like they were papier-mâché. Groaning, she picked herself up, and charged towards Cube again.

"Yo, Tab!" 

Tab spun round and saw what looked like Combo, standing at the barred entrance to the sewers. 

"I'll have y'outta this in no time."

He raised a gigantic claw, and swung it once. The bars fell into several pieces. 

"Come on, guys!" Tab called. 

The GGs raced down into the sewers as fast as their skates could carry them.

Blizzard crept past his mother and Cube, towards the room on the right. Blaze had cursed at him as he'd crept into the factory, but he'd ignored it. 

_"Alex?"_

The Love Shocker was sitting on the floor, tears staining her face, hugging her knees to her chest. 

He dropped down next to her, and touched her shoulder. _"Alex, are you all right?"_

"Blizzard? Blizzard, is that you?" She sounded frightened. Very frightened.

_"Yes, it's me. It's okay. You're safe. It's okay."_

Alex blinked a few times. He could see her hands trembling. "Where are we? I don't know what's going on…"

The lost tone in her voice made his heart ache. 

_"We're in the factory in Kogane, Alex," _he said. _"And everything's gonna be okay."_

"Really?"

_"Really."_

"No…no, you don't understand…" The words fell from her lips, uncontrolled and terrified. "I went back, she talked to me and then we were back again, I'll never escape, never, you're not real, you're just another hallucination, I'm going crazy…"

Blizzard did the only thing he could think of. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

Alex froze for a moment. Blizzard wondered if he'd just made her worse. But then she smiled, and said, "You've got to be real…no one else would be that cold."

_"Of course I'm real. Now, let's get out of here."_

"Oh, how nauseating."

His brother's voice echoed in the emptying factory. Blizzard turned to see Blaze standing there.

"Honestly. Listen, bro. You're letting her tie you down. You'll fight better without her. Allow me to oblige."

He raised a fist. Fire gathered around it. Then he threw it at Alex.

Blizzard grabbed her arm, dragging her to one side. The fireball flew past them – and struck the oil drums on the other side of the room.

There was an explosion. Blizzard felt the sudden heat on his skin.

Alex coughed in the smoke. "What's happening?" she gasped. 

Blizzard grabbed her and dragged her out of the factory. _"Stay out here. You're safe now."_

Blaze stood in the factory, surrounded by flames.

Blizzard raised his hands. One ice beam would seal the door…

_"No," _he said.

Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but he couldn't deliberately force a fiery death on someone. Not even Blaze.

His brother stepped through the flames, apparently not feeling them. His eyes seemed to glow redder than ever. He raised a hand, and a small ball of yellow energy formed in front of it. The ball began to suck up the flames in the factory. 

Blizzard could sense its power, and he could make a pretty good guess at its final destination.

_"RUN!"_

He grabbed Alex's hand and they began to climb the pile of cars. Just as they reached the top – 

BOOM.

Blizzard was thrown off his feet by the force of the blast. He skidded along in the dust on his stomach. He looked back down into the crater that was all that was left of the yard. Blaze stood in the centre of it all, the flames reflecting in his eyes. 

Meanwhile in the burning factory, Kell and Cube were locked in mortal combat. Cube had grown sword blades from the back of her hands, and was slicing at Kell purposefully.

Kell, however, was attacking back with her claws. Cube was blocking with her metal forearms. 

Cube could sense the heat of the flames behind her as she backed away from Kell's whirling buzzsaw. Thinking quickly, she leapt forward, put her hands on Kell's shoulders, and flipped clean over Kell's head. As Kell turned, Cube brought her fist round and hit her full on the nose.

Kell responded with a smashing uppercut to the jaw. Cube was thrown into the air. Just before she began plummeting into the bed of flames, she grabbed hold of the walkways and heaved herself up. 

Kell rushed up the stairs and stood in front of her. Cube saw, out of the corner of her eye, the GGs dashing into the sewers, and breathed a sigh of relief. "Bring it on, Kell."

"Right you are, honey."

Skating towards each other at high speed, fists raised, the two girls clashed. 

There was an explosion, and Kell shot backwards through the wall, ripping through it like paper. Cube packed another explosive charge into her metal-covered hand, before running out to battle once again.

Beat and Tab skated through Benten-cho, following the trail of wrecked houses left by Neo-Onishima. 

When they caught up with him, he was holding a civilian by the throat, laughing insanely. Tab came to the conclusion that Onishima had gone potty.

"Hey! Onishima!" Beat yelled. Tab looked at him. Fury was coursing through the leader like never before.

"Hah! It's two rudies! Just what I need before I slaughter Tokyo-to!"

"Onishima, you've gone nuts! What happened to the slightly overworked, exuberant cop we used to know?"

"He died. I have been improved! Reborn! And Tokyo-to is mine!"

"Well, if you want Tokyo-to, you're gonna have to go through us."

"That can be arranged." Onishima raised one of his many cannons and fired. The shells shot towards Tab and Beat. Swiftly they leapt to one side and onto a banister of the walkway.

More shots rattled off as the minigun traced Beat and Tab's steps, slowly getting closer and closer to the back of Tab's skates. Tab leapt off the banister and began to dash along next to Beat, who was still grinding. Suddenly the whole walkway shook as Onishima began to grind up the banister after Beat. A sniper rifle popped out of one of his oversized arms. The laser sight pointed on the back of Beat's neck. 

Tab reached up and dragged Beat off the banister just as the shot whistled past them. Beat clutched the side of his face. There was a thin red line where the bullet had grazed it.

Tab turned round and saw Onishima leap off the banister to land in straight in front of them. "Hah, you're making this too easy, rudies!"

The rocket launcher aimed at them.

"Uh-oh. Beat, I think now would be a good time to – RUN!"

They raced off. There was an explosion behind them. Beat and Tab were thrown off their feet and over the edge of the stairs.

__

"Blaze!" Blizzard called down desperately into the crater. _"We don't have to fight! Seriously!"_

"No! We do! It's in our genes! There's only gonna be one Onishima-child left after today, and it's gonna be me!"

_"This is just sibling rivalry? You're pathetic!"_

"I'm pathetic? You're the one who's screwing a mental Love Shocker!"

_"You're confusing me with Dad, Blaze!" _Blizzard shouted. _"You just leave Alex alone!"_

"No! I won't! It's not fair! Why should you have a girl? Why should you have all these people around you, liking you? It's not fair! And I'm sick of it! I'm going to fry every bone in her deranged body!"

_"Shut up!" _Blizzard leapt down from the wall into the factory yard, heading straight for his brother. Blaze began to glow red like the heart of a fire. Blizzard turned icy blue, like the inside of an iceberg.

The two fighters met, and there was a massive flash of multicoloured light.

Cube dashed up the hill, heading for the rooftops. She was amazed at how well the cybernetics were working. She just had to think of a weapon to hurt Kell with and it would appear.

This was _good. _Finally she could pay back Kell for everything she'd done. Never before had she been able to return the amount of pain Kell had inflicted on her. But now – 

It was payback time. 

Sensors bleeped in her mind, and she leapt. A buzzsaw thumped into the ground where she'd been standing. 

Another sensor bleeped, and she quickly lowered her visor. Then a huge burst of light exploded in the factory yard. She saw Kell clap her hands over her eyes, blinded, and Cube, taking advantage of the situation, sped off over the rooftops.

She heard the cyborg's snarl of rage echo from behind her, and smirked.

Tab saw the pavement rushing up towards him. He threw his arms up in front of him, and felt one of them snap as he hit the ground.

"Shit!" he yelled as Beat landed on top of him. They were up in moments, and began to run. 

Onishima leapt down and landed on the road, cracks spreading out from under his skates. Another rocket was fired off and blew up a staircase. 

Tab turned. This was so similar to what had happened before.

_"Guys, get outta here! I can hold 'em off!"_

"Yo-Yo, don't be a fool! Nothing can stop them now!" Behind him the staircase exploded, showering everyone with dust. 

"Run! Now!"

Tab heard the scream of a buzzsaw as it cut through metal. Yo-Yo's shouts mingled with the explosions around them.

"Revenge."

Tab spoke the word. His voice had acquired a new sound. It was free of all other emotions, save one. Hatred.

"Beat. Let's take out the trash."

The pain in his arm seemed to no longer exist. All his attention was focused on Onishima and his destruction.

With an animal cry, Tab leapt forward, brandishing his paint cannon. He landed on Onishima's left shoulder, and began pounding the cannon down onto Onishima's dome.

"Get off, you little…" Onishima reached up and grabbed Tab with one huge arm. He threw the rudie into the air. Tab saw the gun pop out and turn towards him. Then he heard the shot. 

And Beat yelled, "Nooooooooo!"

Alex opened her eyes. Her face was covered in dust. 

She somehow managed to get to her feet. She was shaking all over, but she didn't know why. All she knew was that she had to find Blizzard. Blizzard was safe. Blizzard was the one who could hold back the terror threatening to drown her.

She staggered down towards the yard. It looked bigger than usual, but she couldn't work out why. She reached the edge and moved to step onto the pile of cars.

And fell.

She landed heavily on the ground, and realised the cars had gone. All of them.

Then she noticed the wing mirrors, metal doors, and shards of glass covering the ground like urban snow.

"Blizzard?" she said. 

No answer.

Where was he? She needed him. Needed him desperately. 

There was a figure lying in the middle of the yard, where the pylon had once been. It had Blizzard's features, but it wasn't him. There was something that just wasn't right.

Was it Blaze, then? She'd only seen him a little, but she knew the two were identical. But no – it could be Blizzard or Blaze. It just wasn't either of them.

"Alex? Are you okay?"

She looked round. Present Tab was staggering out of the factory, his boiler suit singed. 

"Something's happened to Blizzard…" she said, hearing her voice tremble. "I don't know what's happened to him."

Tab walked over to her. "You tried to wake him?"

Alex dropped down next to the unconscious form and shook his shoulders, then snatched her hands away.

"What is it?"

"My hands…it was like getting burnt…or – or like touching ice."

"Well, looks like they've fused."

"Huh?"

"What happened just before they ended up like this?"

"They sort of jumped towards each other…there was a big flash of light, and then they were like this." Alex shivered. "What's happened?"

"Well, unless I'm wrong, they must have been pushing their powers to the absolute limits, and so were exactly equal in strength. When they struck, the massive surge of energy may have caused their powers to implode simultaneously, thus dragging them together and combining them. They are twins, and we don't know what modifications Koji made to them."

"So…you're saying Blizzard and Blaze are now one person?"

"Yeah, I guess so. Listen, touch his forehead."

"Why?" 

"Just do it."

Alex didn't have the strength to argue. She reached forward and touched the figure's head.

Her vision faded out for a second, and then returned – but everything had changed. It was like – well, it was like no place she'd ever seen before.

Which was good. For a moment she'd thought she was having another flashback. But this was definitely not from her memory.

It was a large room, and parts of it looked familiar – a pinball machine. Tags on the wall. A faded Tokyo-to map. But mingled with that were other things – a bank of expensive-looking computer terminals which sat where normally Potts's kennel would. Rokkaku symbols covering the sound system. Several glass tanks like coffins lining the walls. The two scenarios were mingled, passing through each other, and the walls kept changing shape. 

But overpowering all of that was the sense of Blizzard and Blaze, the irrepressible feeling that this was them, part of them, their places.

Alex shivered. Surely she couldn't have…it was impossible that she could have…

Entered their minds?

Well, don't break anything, then, she cautioned herself. This could be a very strange hallucination – but it was better than a lot of other things she could be seeing.

Carefully she picked her way across the floor, which seemed to be both shiny white lino and tag-covered metal, towards one of the computer terminals. It was glowing. It looked like there was a film on it…but the two figures were very familiar.

_"Blaze. You have done well. Your training is now complete. I'm afraid you'll have to remain in stasis for now until you are needed." _Koji Rokkaku.

__

"What? But you can't do that!" Blaze's voice echoed around the room.

_"I'm sorry, Blaze, but it's necessary. You must –"_

"Don't tell me I must do something! I thought you actually liked having me around! I thought I'd actually found someone I could count on!"

"Blaze, it's not like that. I've really liked having you here, you know that. It's just –"

"Just what? I'm expendable? Not needed?"

"That is the case, from a strategical point of view. If I had the option I wouldn't do this. But it's the only safe place for you at the moment."

"Why should you care about me being safe? You're not my father!"

Alex turned away from the screen, feeling rather guilty. This was a form of eavesdropping. 

She looked over at the street map. It seemed different from what she remembered. It was fading, breaking up to form a picture…

She walked over and studied it. Blizzard was skating away down a Shibuya-cho street. She could just make out, in the background, herself and Shackler, standing there talking.

I know what this is, she realised.

Blizzard was skating furiously, his fists clenched. Alex could hear his thoughts echoing inside her skull.

_"I don't care. They don't want me around? Fine. I can manage without them. That's what I was designed to be, right? Independent. The perfect weapon, Blizzard._

I don't care. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I care. I hate it when Alex doesn't seem to like me. I really want her to. I mean it would be cool if she did. 

Oh, like she'll ever look at me. She wants a real man, like that Poison Jammer. But she could like me, couldn't she? I just want to know what it's like to be cared for…

"Blizzard, I'm sorry," Alex said, wishing the image could hear her. "I'm sorry…I do care for you. Oh, I wish you could hear me!"

She looked round the room. What could she do here? There had to be some way of sorting out whatever had happened to the twins. But she didn't dare touch anything in case she screwed someone's mind up.

Suddenly she noticed that the place seemed bigger. Much bigger. About a mile away from her were two glowing figures, one red, one blue, fighting like crazy.

She began to hurry towards them.

__

"Ouch!"

Cube hit the Dumpster and felt the impact reverberate through her armour. She looked up and saw Kell flying towards her.

Quickly she analysed the figure, pinpointing the weakest spot. She got ready to punch.

Her fist hammered into Kell's stomach, and the cyborg flew backwards through a wall on the other side of the Shibuya street. They'd fought their way down from Kogane to Shibuya, neither girl giving an inch or showing any sign of giving up.

Cube suddenly realised that the wall in question was the side of the Rokkaku building. 

"You are so dead!" Kell's snarl echoed through the smashed hole in the wall. 

Cube leapt into the building, fists raised. Kell was tangled in the remains of a reception desk. The secretary was standing screaming for security. A few guards had just dashed in and were shooting at Kell. They were having very little effect. The bullets were pinging off her armoured back.

Kell charged over to Cube and swung her buzzsaw viciously over Cube's head. Cube ducked with comparative ease, but then was lifted off her feet as Kell's foot slammed into her stomach.

Cube flew up. As she fell back down she saw Kell standing beneath her. Then the fist hit her. 

Cube cried out as she felt herself tear through the ceiling. Getting to her feet, she saw that she was in some sort of factory. There were silos dotted around the walls, and walkways and bridges crossing over the upper levels of the room.

She saw Kell's hand catch hold of the edge of the hole in the floor. The Love Shocker hauled herself through up into the room like an overgrown, metallic spider. Before she could orientate herself, Cube landed a blow on her face that sent her reeling back into the wall of a large metal silo.

Kell slammed her fist into the wall of the silo in frustration. The metal ripped, and Cube saw liquid hot metal start to drip onto the floor. 

Cube yelped and jumped onto a nearby ladder. The flow began to puddle out towards Kell's feet. With a growl of frustration the Love Shocker charged over and slammed her claws into the wall. Hand over hand Kell climbed up to the walkway where Cube was standing.

"No escape now, Cube."

"You think I'm gonna run? We're gonna finish this, Kell. Here and now."

"Okay, if that's how you want it. Playtime is now officially over."

Beat stared at Tab's body in total shock. 

"Hah, that's one of you out of the way! You're next, leader boy!"

"No. You're next." Beat looked up. His bionic eye had gone a very, very bright red. 

He could see a target homing in on Onishima's dome. _Weak Point Identified…_

Beat could feel the rage channelling into his eye, all of it focusing on Onishima. He could see the writing scrolling across his vision. _ULTIMA CANNON ENGAGED…_

He felt the metal of his eye grow warm. Then he heard the sound which you normally only hear in movies. The one when the super-powerful laser is fired.

Then Beat realised. The super-powerful laser had been fired. His head recoiled from the shot. His vision flared, then returned to normal. 

The dome had cracked. Beat could see the liquid spilling out over the robot's armour. Onishima's head wore an expression of utmost horror. 

Then the dome shattered.

Onishima's head began to wrinkle, like a prune. The lips peeled back from the teeth, the eyes bulged, the mouth fell open in a soundless scream. Flames licked around the dying head as the laser blast took effect. 

Onishima's skin began to fall into dust. The skull was left, wearing a permanent howl of terror. The robot suit spluttered, spat black smoke, gave off a small explosion, and fell over backwards. 

Then it all went quiet. 

Beat stumbled over to Tab's body. Falling to his knees, lifting Tab's head in his arms, he spoke his last words to his good friend. 

"We did it, Tab. We saved your future. Goodbye, my main man."

Alex finally made it to Blizzard and Blaze. 

"Guys? Blizzard?"

The two boys took no notice of her, and continued trying to pummel each other. 

"Hmm. So, they're fighting for dominance of this body. Whoever wins will be in charge. I wish Combo was here."

"Blizzard!" she called again. 

She seemed to get through that time. _"Alex?"_ He stopped fighting and looked at her, as if seeing her for the first time. 

"Trying to chicken out, bro?" Blaze had a manic grin on his face as he aimed more blows at his sibling. 

_"Shut up." _Blizzard pushed Blaze, who tripped over a wire on the sound system and fell down. _"Now, what are you doing in our heads?" _

"Too long to explain. But whoever wins this fight wins the body. There'll only be one of you."

"Huh? So if I lose, what happens to me? Huh? What happens to me? Or if he loses, what happens to him, cos he will lose!" Blaze spoke very quickly. Alex saw the Rokkaku parts of the garage become distorted, twisted. 

"Whoever loses will probably just…fade away," she said. 

"In that case – think fast, Blizzard!"

WHAM.

Blaze punched Blizzard in the face and Blizzard flew back and crashed into the wall. 

"Blizzard!" Alex rushed over to him. "Are you okay?"

_"I think so…"_

Alex helped him to his feet. She heard a snarl of fury from behind her and turned to see Blaze staring at them, his features twisted with rage. 

"Well, you have to have all of the affection, don't you? Don't you think I ever wanted to be cared for? You don't think I ever wanted to have friends? It wasn't my fault I ended up like this! It wasn't my fault everyone I thought might like me went away and left me. Koji Rokkaku stuck me in stasis. Mum and Dad hate us both. You. You went and found yourself friends. You're a freak just like me but I'm the only one who suffers for it."

_"Blaze, it doesn't have to be like this. If one of us loses,_ _I don't think we'll fade away completely. We will just become part of the winner's subconscious. Blaze. This is your chance. If I win, you can experience the stuff I've been experiencing with me. Just take the fall."_

"Really?" 

Blaze's voice lost its sneering.

_"Really."_

An expression of curious happiness passed over Blaze's features. He dropped to the ground, lay back, and then, slowly faded.

Alex felt the tension in the room disappear, and a wave of peace rolled over it as the Rokkaku objects faded. 

She turned to Blizzard, and they fell into each other's arms. 

Suddenly her vision faded again, and when it returned, she was lying on the ground in the factory yard. 

She blinked. "Uhh…Blizzard? Are you there?"

She felt gentle hands on her forehead, brushing away the dust and ash. "I'm here."

His voice was no longer so frosty. Somewhere it had acquired a warmer, less whispery quality. 

She closed her eyes and let herself slip into peaceful sleep.

Blizzard looked down at Alex's face. She looked so vulnerable like that. He wished he could help her, like she'd helped him.

"You okay, man?" Present Tab was watching him nervously. 

"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine." Blizzard sighed. The central core of cold in his heart had gone. 

"I wasn't sure if that was gonna work or not. You still got your powers?"

Blizzard concentrated, and a thin plume of water spilled out from his fingers. He laughed. "Sort of. I guess it'll be useful if we're ever stuck in desert, right?"

"Yeah."

Blizzard carried on smoothing the dust off Alex's forehead. 

Suddenly the world faded, and when it returned, it was very different. Blizzard thought he heard Present Tab mutter, "Rats. I should've warned him about all the telepathic shit still flying around."

Cube deflected Kell's buzzsaw on her metal forearm. 

"So," Kell panted between blows, "When did you – start – dating Coin?"

"Huh? How do you know Coin?"

"Oh, I've been around." Kell smirked. 

"Yeah, and what goes around, sleeps around." Cube ducked as the buzzsaw scythed over her head.

"Watch it, sweetie. I could tell you something about Coin – or Slate, as we all know him now – that you really wouldn't want to know."

"Like what?"

Kell shrugged as she punched out again. "I wouldn't want to ruin your relationship with him, fun though it would be. He didn't recognise me, and I'm not surprised. You didn't, either."

"Huh? What are you – "

She felt a metal hand close round her throat. 

Kell swung Cube out over the flood of molten metal that now covered the factory. Cube could hear it steaming below them. 

Kell looked into her eyes. "Well, Cube, it's been nice knowing you, but now it's time to say sayonara. The only question is, shall I tell you my little piece of information, or shall I let you go to your death wondering?"

Cube tried to pull Kell's fingers off her throat, but to no avail. 

Suddenly she heard a robotic voice in her brain: _Survival Systems Activated…_

She felt her legs kick out and her feet hooked onto the railings in front of her. Then she felt herself heave on Kell's arm, dragging the cyborg off the bridge.

The world flipped upside down. 

Right, Cube thought some seconds later. I am hanging upside down off some railings by my ankles over a boiling pit of molten metal, with a mad Love Shocker cyborg clutching my wrist. To quote Dr Arless Loveless – how did we end up in this dark situation?

(A/N – Last line is © Wild Wild West. So, to some extent, is the situation. Only without the molten metal.)

"Hmm. I didn't expect this to happen." From what Cube could see, Kell was smiling. "Where'd you learn that little trick?"

"Survival system. Built into the armour." Cube could feel her feet starting to slip, inch by imperceptible inch. 

"I suppose this is when I'm supposed to apologise to you and we die best buddies." Kell snorted. "Well, that ain't gonna happen, is it?"

"You know I hate you. I should just drop you right now." 

"But you won't, will you? Because you're the good guy. And the good guys don't kill. Even when they should."

"Do you want me to drop you?"

"I couldn't care either way, actually. I feel like I've been dead since I fell off the HQ. But it would be nice if you didn't drop me."

"You know I hate you, don't you?"

"Never doubted it. I've known it since we were jailbirds together. And before. I hated you, but you'll probably never know why."

"It was because I wouldn't put out for you, I seem to remember." 

"No. It started before that."

A new voice broke into the conversation. 

"Sorry to break up this little reminiscing session, but I have a few murders to do."

Cube recognised that voice.

"Omega?"

"Yep."

"Shit!"

"Who's he?" Kell called up from below. 

"Just some guy who tried to screw me while I was asleep." Cube tried not to let Kell hear the bitterness in her voice. 

"What? That's my job!"

"Hmm. What should I do?" Cube could hear Omega pacing up and down above her. "On the one hand, I could help you…but on the other hand, you totally screwed up my life, and this could be my chance to get sweet revenge."

Cube could feel the sweat running down her face. She blinked it out of her eyes, and said, "Well, I'd go for Option Number One, myself."

"Oh, no, I much prefer Option Two. So, Cube…and cyborg associate…"

"She's not my associate," Cube snapped.

"Whatever. This shouldn't be too hard. It was a lot easier than I thought with Giga."

"Giga? That was your Noise Tank buddy, wasn't it?" Kell said.

"How do you know him?" Omega said. "Oh, well, don't matter now. He fell off a high place in Benten Square. Lucky none of the others noticed I helped him fall…"

He sniggered. Cube swallowed as she felt hands on her feet, starting to unhook them from the rails. "Omega, you don't want to do this," she said, sweat prickling on her skin. "The only reason we kicked you out was because you tried to hit on me and got Yo-Yo into trouble. Be reasonable. Please."

"Hmm…allow me to think. No."

"Boy, I never realised how annoying that is until someone does it to me," Kell said.

"You know what happened to me after you chased me out?" Omega snapped. "Those bullet wounds turned bad, and they wouldn't let me into hospital 'cos I was a rudie. I had to seek help in this little enterprise. I was just heading out when I happened to stroll along and catch up with you guys."

"Yes, and now I've just strolled in here and caught up with all three of you."

"Koji?" Omega shouted. Cube couldn't see what was going on. There were muttered words, then sounds of feet running, and finally a shot. Then she saw Koji and Omega plummeting down towards her. She saw Koji's hand grab Kell's leg, and felt the weight tear down on her arm. 

Kell's fingers slipped from around her wrist. Cube heard a series of splashes. One scream. Then – silence. 

Blizzard blinked a few times and tried to work out where he was. It didn't look like any place he'd ever been.

In front of him was a huge concrete wall. It reached up into the depths of the misty sky, higher than he could see. A large crack ran down the centre of it. 

"What's going on?" he muttered.

Silence. This place was too silent. He didn't like it. There was mist everywhere, mist that could be hiding anything. He didn't want to run into it. He might never come out again.

He took a deep breath, and stepped through the crack in the wall.

Misery slammed him in the gut.

It clouded the air like flies in syrup. Blizzard shivered. He felt tears sting his eyes. This feeling was more powerful than any he'd felt before. More powerful than when he thought he'd murdered some of the GGs, more powerful than when he'd seen Alex get captured by the mob, more powerful than his brother's pain and fury at rejection.

"Where am I?" he said out loud. He looked around. He was standing in a large, darkened hall, the ceiling of which was hidden in shadows. Metal walkways covered the edges and long, broken windows ran down the walls like tears. 

He looked back at the crack he'd stepped through.

It had gone.

Blizzard swallowed and tried not to panic. Nothing had happened yet. He was okay. Be calm, he told himself. Be calm. 

He heard the sound of a bolt being drawn back, and for some reason the sound filled him with terror.

Stop it! Stop being such a frozen chicken! 

Blizzard smiled at the insult. No prizes for guessing who that had come from. He could handle this.

This place seemed so familiar…as though he'd seen it before. Beneath the misery was a recognisable aura, one that he'd felt many times. 

"Okay," he said. "Let's see what we can find."

His voice echoed up into the empty building.

There was a door on his right. He opened it, and stepped inside.

It seemed slightly brighter here. There was a pile of school books lying on the table. He picked one up. 

It had Alex's name on. 

Blizzard began to realise what had happened. Telepathic shit…Alex hopping out of his mind…him touching her forehead…

This is her mind, he realised. It was familiar because it was full of her feelings, her nuances, her style.

So all that misery…that's hers too.

"Alex," he cried out, "Alex, why didn't you tell me?"

Silence. 

Except for the crackling of a radio in the corner of the room. 

Blizzard turned, and he heard Alex's voice, coming through clearly. 

"Is there anything we can do? Doesn't she have any medicine or something?"

"Oh, sure she has medicine." His mother's voice, burning with rage. "She has medicine in her bag, which you just threw into the river!"

"Shit!" A younger voice, full of panic. "What're we gonna do?"

"Call an ambulance!" Alex yelled. "Quick!"

Someone was gasping for breath.

Then there was silence again.

And the room darkened.

Blizzard turned and walked out. 

The walls of the main hall seemed to be closing in on him. And the pain in the air was growing stronger. He wanted to drop down and cry, cry for the pain Alex must be feeling, cry for everything that had ever gone wrong in his world, and in Blaze's, and in everybody's.

No. He had to find Alex. She'd come into his mind to save him. He could do the same for her. 

Where was the agony the strongest?

Blizzard focused. At last he worked it out. He could feel the distress pulsing out of a doorway on one of the walkways, waves of it washing over him, dragging him down and down and down.

He hurried up the steps to the relevant room. Hand shaking, he turned the handle, and walked inside.

The torment was like a slap in the face. He almost turned and walked out again, but he told himself he could handle it, and forced himself to see what was going on.

There was a girl lying on the ground, under a boarded-up window. She was sobbing, hands covering her face. Her hair was red, tipped with pink, that reached to her shoulders, and her bare legs and feet were gaunt in the faint light.

Blizzard walked towards her. She heard his footsteps, and turned to face him.

He nearly fainted, but what he was starting to think of as his Blaze mentality kicked him awake again.

It was Alex staring at him. Alex with her eyes sunk so deep into her skull they looked almost like empty sockets. Alex with blood coating her arm from a freshly inflicted cut. Alex with an expression of terror on her face that cut him like pieces of glass.

"Help me…" she whispered, voice cracking from crying. "Please…please help me!"

"It's all right." Blizzard wondered if she knew who he was. He gently reached out and took her hand. "I'm here. It's okay."

"I can't get out…" she said. "I'm trapped, and I can't take it, I can't…"

"We can get out," Blizzard said firmly. "And if we can't, I'll stay with you. I'll never leave you."

"Do you promise?" she said, her bony hand gripping his painfully. "Do you?"

"Yes. I do. Now come on. It's horrible in here." He was finding it difficult to speak without wanting to cry.

"I can't," Alex whispered. "Look…"

Someone had handcuffed her wrist to a pipe running down the wall. 

"This isn't reality," he said. "This is just your mind. So you must be able to break that. Come on. Try."

Alex tugged feebly at it. "No…"

"Yes. Come on. Do you want to stay like this forever?"

"No!" Fear flew up in her voice like a startled bird. 

"So try." 

Alex gritted her teeth and tried to break the chain. The air hummed with her effort. 

This must be what happened to her ages ago, Blizzard thought. What my mum did to her.

He felt sick. He wanted to tear off any connection to his mother. If he couldn't, he might end up just like her…

Letting people boss you around? a familiar voice sneered in his mind. You are who you are. She can't turn you into anything else. Not now.

"Alex," he said, "Do you remember trying to teach me to skate?"

She looked up at him, and a smile crept onto her face. "Yeah…" 

"It was in Shibuya-cho, wasn't it? And I kept falling over."

"It was doing a flip down the hill district I liked the best," she said. Her voice was becoming stronger. "But don't worry. When I learnt to skate I was a mess."

"I can't believe that." Keep her talking, he thought. Just keep that smile on her face.

"Oh, I was. I lived in Kogane-cho, you know? And I would practise in the streets, and the number of times I ended up taking a dip in the river…I'm a real good swimmer now."

She laughed, and a link of the handcuff chain cracked slightly.

The misery was less heavy now. Blizzard now longer wanted to howl. "I'm not too good at swimming," he said. "Koji tried to teach me, but every time I jumped in I froze the water."

"What about Blaze?" Alex's face looked achingly happy. 

"Oh, he boiled it. No one else could ever swim with him."

"That's terrible." Alex smiled. 

"You saved us, Alex," he said. "You saved us both."

"I suppose – I suppose I did." 

The crack in the chain widened. 

"Alex?" Blizzard said. "You know, when we get out of all this…I mean, when we're all safe again, would you – I mean – can we, like, go out?"

The handcuff chain broke with a loud snap.

Blizzard felt a pair of horribly skinny arms throw themselves around his neck. Alex was crying, her tears warm and unfrozen on his skin. 

"Let's get out of here," he said, helping her to her feet. 

She followed him out of the door. The building looked lighter now. Sunlight was slowly spilling in through the windows, casting squares across the floor. 

They reached the ground. Blizzard felt Alex's hand tighten on his.

"What is it?" he asked.

She didn't answer. Her eyes were wide with terror. He looked to where she was staring, and his stomach lurched.

His mother was standing on the balcony, looking down at them.

"No…" Alex whispered. "No…"

"She's not really there," Blizzard said. "She's a figment of your imagination."

But he was feeling pretty nervous himself. His mother hated him, and he didn't want to see the disgust in her face when she looked at him. 

There was a growl of thunder outside. The sunlight began to fade.

"What are we going to do?" Alex said.

"There must be a way out of here. Do you know where the exit is?"

Alex pointed, hand shaking, to a door. Blizzard could see rain beginning to spatter the windows. 

"Then let's just walk over there and get out."

Alex nodded and they set off.

They'd just reached the door, when suddenly Kell was in front of it. Her lips curved into a grin as she saw them, but she didn't say anything.

"She's not real," Blizzard said. "And she can't do anything to you."

"I'm scared…" 

Lightning flashed outside, flickering in Kell's eyes.

"Say it," he said. "She's not real."

"But she is, Blizzard! She's out there, in the real world, and I'll never escape, never…"

Alex tried to turn and flee, but Blizzard held onto her. 

"We're gonna protect you," he said. "Cube might have dealt with her by now, and even if she hasn't, we'll look after you. I will."

Alex froze, trembling all over.

"Say it, Alex. She's not real."

"She's – she's not – "

"Missed me, Alex?" Kell said, her voice echoing up into the darkened ceiling. "I'm real all right. Don't listen to my son."

"This lady is not real." Blizzard held onto that thought himself as the lightning flashed again, glinting on Kell's buzzsaw. Had she had that a minute ago? He didn't know.

"You'll never get out," Kell said. "And you know you won't."

"You will," Blizzard said. "Don't listen to her. Remember, she's not real!"

Alex was whimpering. Blizzard put his arm round her shoulders. "I'm here," he said. "I'm here."

"You're not real!" Alex shouted at Kell. "You're not! You're not! Get away from me, you ghost!"

Kell suddenly seemed to look less threatening. The thunder became quieter. 

"Go away," Alex said, calmly. "I'm not scared of you any more."

There was a hiss as Kell struck a match on her fingernail. Blizzard felt Alex grow rigid. 

"I'm not scared," she said. "Go ahead. Hurt me. I'm not scared any more."

She suddenly smiled. "I'm not. I'm really not!"

And suddenly Kell was gone.

Blizzard wrenched open the door, and they ran out into the sunlight. And then he blinked – 

and he was back in the factory yard. 

Alex opened her eyes. And then she sat up, and they kissed. At last they broke apart, but Blizzard knew that in their hearts they'd be together forever.


	10. The End and Ever After

The End, And After

(Chapter title is from Red Dwarf book. I think. Anyway, we didn't make it up.)

"Beat?"

Gum crept over to Beat. She glanced from Beat to the body of Tab to the remains of Onishima.

No more was said. Combo carried Future Tab's body back to the garage. 

Cube arrived back some time later. "I did it. She's dead. So are Koji and Omega." 

She knew she should be feeling something – remorse, happiness, excitement – but she didn't. Her head felt empty of thought.

Everyone else was sitting around looking solemn. 

"Future Tab's dead," Beat said.

Cube swallowed. "Onishima?"

"Yep. But he's gone too."

"I never got to thank Tab for this." She touched her armour. "If it hadn't been for him I'd have lost that fight."

"Are you sure you didn't? That she's dead, I mean?" asked Mew.

"She plunged into a pit of molten metal. I think that counts as dead."

"Are you okay?" Slate's voice floated over from the pinball machine.

Cube turned to face him and her mouth dropped open. "Coin? How did you – how did you –"

"Kell and Tab. She sliced my face in half, he put me back together. What do you think?"

"What do I think?" She ran over to him. "Here's what I think…" 

It was their first kiss since – well, for a long time. She savoured it. At long last, she was safe.

"Yo-Yo?" Mew crept closer to Yo-Yo, who was sitting on the car, looking at the wall.

"What?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted." Yo-Yo didn't move. 

"Yo-Yo, I'm sorry, I didn't know how you felt…"

"Oh, like I didn't make it obvious enough! What did you want me to do, spell it out for you? I'll probably never say this again, but Kell was right – you are a ditz!"

"I – I thought you were just joking around!"

"Just joking around? Do you really think a joke would last this long?"

"Well, I don't know what you want me to say!"

"There's nothing you can say."

"There is something." Mew sat down on the car. 

"Oh, yeah? What?"

"Thank you. You confessed to try and save me, and I won't forget that."

"Well, yeah. I suppose." Yo-Yo shrugged. 

"Maybe we won't get together, but for what it's worth, I think you're a lot braver than people take you for."

She kissed him on the forehead, and then slid off the car and walked away.

Shackler sloped out of the garage at the sight of Alex and Blizzard kissing. He walked down the street and into a nearby bar.

As he walked up to the bar, he saw Data sitting there, her head bent low over a small glass of vodka.

He ordered a beer, and sat down next to her. "Hey."

"Hey."

"So, what're you doing here?" He sipped at his beer.

"Thinking."

"Oh. 'Bout Giga? And Omega?"

"Yeah. S'pose."

"Are you drunk yet?"

"No."

"Are you gonna get drunk?"

"S'pose."

"Can I get drunk with ya?"

"If you want."

Shackler downed his beer. Data downed her vodka. They ordered two more drinks. Each.

"So…what're you doing here?"

"Getting away from Alex and Blizzard playing tongue tennis."

"Oh." Data stared off into the distance for a few moments, then said, "You know what happens now, don't you?"

"No."

"We both sit here, getting more and more drunk, telling each other tragic tales of lost love, and end up deadening the pain by having a night of full on bursting passion and end up completely ruining our professional relationship."

(A/N: Yes, we know, that speech is © *****gag* Spiceworld: The movie. I know, I know, we watched it, groan, shame, etc…)

Shackler took another drink of beer.

"Well, I'm up for it, if you are."

"I can't believe I'm dead," Present Tab said. 

"He was a good friend." Beat sighed. 

"Yeah. I was a real good friend."

"Tab, are you sure you didn't feel anything when you died?"

"Well, sort of. I felt a pain in my heart…but I thought that was just cos of all the smoke."

"Future Tab got shot in the heart. You felt his shot, man." Beat sighed. "I'm gonna miss him."

"Technically you won't, because I'm him."

"But we went through stuff, man! We went to the future and back together. You know, he fixed my eye. No offence, Tabster, it's just…I am gonna miss him."

"I will too. Me and him made a great team."

"How'd you think we should bury him?"

"Well…since I'm him, I think we should bury him in our secret lab under the elephant slide."

"Yeah. That's where he fixed my eye and where we cheated death again."

CRASH!

Both GGs looked up at the sound of the dustbins hitting the pavement. Beat got up and went to the window, then turned away rather abruptly.

"Okay, nothing to see here…"

"What?" Tab said. "What's going on?"

"Umm…It's Data and Shackler. They're making out in the alleyway and just knocked over a couple of dustbins. They're up against the garage wall."

"I think we'd better close the blind now."

"Gum?"

"Hi."

Gum stared out at the sunset, sitting on the roof of the garage hugging her knees. She could hear Beat's footsteps behind her.

"Um…I heard about what happened."

"Hmm."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Gum felt tears begin to course down her cheeks.

"Gum…it'll make you feel better…"

"No, it won't. I don't ever want to go through that again."

"Gum. You'll end up feeling terrible about it. It'll come back to haunt you. If we talk about it, we can get it off your chest for good. I won't tell anyone."

"Why not? They already know. And they wouldn't care anyway."

"Gum, how can you say that? These guys are your friends. They've been through everything with you. From fighting the Rhinos to…well, this!"

"How do you know they actually care?"

"Gum. No matter what, I'll always be here for you. And so will Tab. The three of us."

"Why do you want to be there for a weakling like me? I gave in. None of the others did, they fought. I couldn't. I'm nothing but a coward." 

She felt Beat put his arm round her. "Future Tab did not die to hear you going on like this. He died so you could be happy. He gave us a chance. So we could now carry on."

"Well, sorry. At the moment I don't feel too damn happy. If you have a problem with that then you can just go jump off the roof right now!"

She waited for him to walk away, but he didn't. He stayed sitting by her, one arm round her. A few minutes passed. To Gum it seemed like an eternity.

"I'm sorry," she said at last. "I just…I just…" 

Suddenly she was crying for real. She buried her head in his chest and felt him hug her. 

"She…she made me…I didn't want to do it but she made me…and I hate her, I hate her…I just feel like, like I hate myself, I don't want to be here, I don't want to be alive…"

"It's okay." He was holding her, keeping her safe. "You're mad because she forced you to, aren't you?"

Gum nodded. She didn't want to talk about it, but she knew if she didn't she'd be cutting off any hope of freedom from her misery. "She…she made me kiss her skates…"

Beat's arm tightened around her. "Don't worry about it," he said. "She's dead, she's dead, okay?"

"I know." She looked up at him. In the half-darkness he looked furious. 

"Why so angry?"

"If I could have done anything – anything – to stop her doing that to you, I would have. I mean it. I hate seeing you like this. I wish you'd not been caught. I – oh, you know. I love you, I guess."

"You guess?"

"I know. I love you. I always have." She heard his voice catch a little. 

Gum hugged him, more tears spilling from her eyes, and whispered, "I love you too…"

Beat grinned as they sat silently watching the sun set. 

Cube, Combo and Slate – or rather, Coin – were having a three-player game on Power Stone 2. It mayn't seem appropriate, but they were trying to wind down.

"Arrgh! No! Combo, you can't do that!" Cube shrieked. "I'm on your team, doofus!"

"Hah, I'm going to destroy you all, all of you, mwahaahaaaa!" Combo pounded the specially customised controls with his metal claws. 

"I think being a cyborg has gone to your head," Cube muttered as she concentrated on directing Mel around the screen. 

Coin coolly directed Falcon to drop a crate on top of Combo's Gunrock. Cube then hit them both with Mel's umbrella. 

"You know –" Whapwhapwhapwhap – "I've been thinking –" BOOM – "life – " bang bang – "is gonna be easier from now on –" ZAP! Cube wrestled with the controls. 

"The last time you said something like that I got blown up," Combo said. "Watch your tongue, okay?"

"You are sure she's dead?" Coin said, under cover of an explosion. 

"I think so. I hope so." The glow of the screen outlined Cube's features. She squinted in the dim light. "If she comes back –"

"She won't," Coin said quickly. "She better not."

"No. I suppose not." Cube shivered. "If she does –"

"If she does I'll look after you. You know that. I'm not letting her get you."

Cube didn't answer. A memory was crawling into her brain, a memory she didn't want to see.

"Coin…" she said. "Did you ever know her?"

"No. I don't know what she was on about, I don't know how she recognised me."

_I could tell you something about Coin…that you really wouldn't want to know…_

Cube swallowed. "Sure."

"Hah! Gotcha!" Combo punched the air as Gunrock flipped both Mel and Falcon into the claws of the space monster.

"Combo!" Cube and Coin yelled at him.

"You gotta be smart to survive in this game," Combo said smugly. Then he yelped as the other two began to pelt him with popcorn.

Cube looked round the garage. By the sound system Garam was kissing Piranha. Yo-Yo was drinking Coca-Cola with Gamma and Mew, grinning at someone's joke. Alex was talking with Blizzard – they were looking into each other's eyes. Tab was on hands and knees adding a jet booster to the GGs' car, being watched by Potts. She could hear crashes from the alleyway where Data and Shackler were, and could see Beat and Gum through the skylight, staring out at the sunset. 

Combo flung a handful of popcorn down the back of her neck, and she dashed back to join the battle.

Meanwhile deep under the molten metal, something stirred.

"Ohh, you're gonna suffer for this, Cube. You're gonna suffer!"

The End…Or Is It?


End file.
